Collecchio, 4 September 2024 - Statements from the midfielder Mandela Keita during the presentation press conference at Mutti Training Centre in Collechio in the presence of the Sporting Director Mauro Pederzoli

Welcome address from Mauro Pederzoli: “Thanks to everyone for being here. Today we present to you Mandela Keita, who despite being the final arrival in our transfer window, has been on our mind as part of our plans right since it began. It has been a long and at times complicated journey, there were many different teams who had their eye on him, but luckily in the end, we were able have him here with us. For us, it’s a great joy and source of pride, he is young but has had a lot of experience in the Belgian Pro League, which is a challenging and difficult division to play in. He has played in the Champions League, for his National Team and, despite his young age, he is ready. Welcome, Mandela!”

POSITIVE MENTALITY

“What made Parma choose me? To be honest, the Club was already interested in me a while ago and this is something that flattered me. Parma is a really strong side with a very respected history. As well as this, the Coach and Sporting Director have both put their trust in me and encouraged me to make this decision. I really liked the Club’s positive mentality and I think it is needed if you want to play in a difficult league like Serie A. If we keep working hard, we will be able to get some good results. I chose the number 16 because it was available and there weren’t many numbers left: it’s a nice number, I hope it brings me luck and allows me to show what I can do and play well on the pitch.”

READY TO WORK

“I am a footballer who loves to work hard so that I can contribute to the team’s success and to help the side reach the highest level possible. I am quick, agile, lively, able to recover the ball and a solid tackler. In terms of my physical condition? I feel 100% ready. I played the last game with Antwerp and feel ready, be it on a physical level but also psychologically. I can’t wait to get started.”

THE NAME MANDELA

“The name Mandela? It’s an important name, I chose to have it on my match shirt and wear it with great pride. It’s a name that says it all, and it was chosen by my mum, the lady who raised me on her own, reminding me to never give up and to keep fighting, but with a sense of humility and with my feet on the ground. Mandela did the same, he’s the man who believed in respect for others as a founding principle.”

WORK HARD AND WITH HUMILITY

“My date of birth? It’s true, on that day Parma beat Juventus 1-0 and won the Coppa Italia, I noticed this on the day I had my official photos taken: it seems like destiny. In terms of my personal goals, the first is to help the team to grow, do whatever the manager asks of me, improve on a personal level and contribute to the team’s improvement by playing as much as possible. The team plays a good brand of football, which we have seen in the first games of the season. From the moment I arrived here, I felt a really positive energy and noticed that we play a good football. I will keep working hard with humility and with my feet on the ground'.

THE NATIONAL TEAM

“The Belgian National Team? Being called up again is definitely one of my goals. My National Team is a good group, it has a great manager and for this, I think it is even more important to show everyone how much I am worth whilst playing for Parma, working hard and doing my best to help the team achieve the best results. I think these are already some good principles and starting points I can use to get back into the international squad'.

IDOLS

“My idols? I like Barcelona, I am a big fan. Even during my childhood it was one of my favourite teams and the legend back then was Ronaldinho, not just for me but also for many other people. If I think about football today, I would mention two players in particular: N’Golo Kanté and Frenkie de Jong. I don’t want to become a carbon copy of them, I’d like to take some characteristics from each of them to improve my own game and reach the highest level I can. I hope that the manager will help me to improve, even if he inspires me to become like one or the other, for me it doesn’t matter.”

MARK VAN BOMMEL AND SUZUKI

“Suzuki? No, I’ve not met him yet because he is away on international duty, but I can say, as a joke, I have always won against him whenever we’ve played. I think he is a great goalkeeper with brilliant reflexes and now, given that we are playing in the same team, there’ll no longer be a rivalry. I have spoken with Mark Van Bommel a lot about Italy, and working with him has been brilliant: he has played the midfield and helped me to develop, even with little suggestions here and there. In terms of the league campaign, he has told me that I need to work hard here, give everything I have and be intelligent and astute because it isn’t a simple league. It’s been an honour to work with the Coach and take on his tips and advice.”