Rafael Leao: "I feel like I quickly adapted to the team"
The Argentine newcomer "Kharkiv" Rafael Profini told about his adaptation in the team and impressions of the Ukrainian championship.
- When you first arrived at the team, you characterized the championship as physical with an emphasis on physique. After your first official match, were your expectations confirmed?
- Yes, definitely. I think that's exactly it. It's a very physically intensive football with a lot of transitions from defense to attack and back. So I'm working on adapting as quickly as possible. I think with each match I will feel more and more confident.
- What surprised you in Ukrainian football?
- Probably, it's the physical component. We know that all opponents will be very physically strong. It will get harder with each round, but we, in turn, are working hard to approach the championship matches as prepared as possible.
- Debuting right in the starting lineup. This is probably the best scenario for a newcomer. How did you feel when you found out you would start from the first minutes?
- Yes, of course, when you join a new team, you always want to play and adapt as quickly as possible. I got this chance. I try to show the maximum of what I can. Of course, there is always room for improvement. That's what I'm working on.
- Did you have good goal-scoring opportunities or do you feel like you could have made your debut even brighter?
- Yes, there were two opportunities. One after a header, and the other when the ball bounced in front of me, but the opponent covered me well. Then, when I watched the video, I thought maybe I should have shot differently, but at that moment on the field, it seemed right to open my foot. Unfortunately, the shot was blocked, and in the header episode, the ball was a bit too high. I tried to shoot low, but it went a bit higher than I wanted.
- You've been with the team for a month now. At what point did you feel like you stopped being a newcomer and became part of the team?
- Although I joined the team very recently, the guys, coaching staff, and everyone at the club made me feel at home very quickly. I think I integrated well and now I already feel like part of the team.
- How well do you already understand the demands of the coaching staff?
- I think I quickly understood their vision of football. The coaches are quite demanding, but that's absolutely normal. I believe I quickly adapted to their instructions and now I try to continue progressing.
- Ahead is Polissya, a team that sets very high goals for itself. What will be the main focus for you in this match?
- I've been told that they are a very strong team. I think the most important thing is to approach this match with the responsibility it deserves. If we do our job and demonstrate our best qualities, we can achieve a positive result.
- What do you expect from Polissya? More fighting, speed, or pressure?
- Although we haven't fully analyzed the opponent, their movements, and how they will act, I think it will be another very physically intensive match, like the previous one. I expect a lot of duels and one-on-one play, but as I said, we are working to approach this match in the best possible readiness and bring home three points.
