Dortmund Mane: I love defense and will observe all Italian defenders to learn skills

August 8: Dortmund young player Filippo Mane is approaching to becoming a member of the first team. In an interview with the official website, he talked about the preparation situation, his own defensive style and the goals of the season.

- How to evaluate your performance in the warm-up match in this preparation period?

Mane: "It's really good. Not just for me, it's the case for the entire team. We had some great Test matches and are waiting for the next game against Juventus on Sunday."

"Overall, I'm very happy with the progress and I'm happy with our collaboration - even when we're still training in Dortmund. The key is that we're going to continue to do what we did last season."

- Kovac praised your uncompromising style in defense. How do you describe your game style?

Mane: "Like he said, I am really a defender who loves defense and will try not to let the opponent score goals and win a clean sheet. This is exactly what a defender should do. So I am very focused on defense."

- How many elements of the Italian defensive school are there in your game?

Mane: "I will observe all the Italian defenders in the past and present and try to learn something from them: the advice, the skills they use, and I want to apply these to my own game."

- You have suffered some injury setbacks over the past few years, how did you spend that time?

Mane: "Sometimes there are troughs, sometimes there are peaks. You have to learn from both. You can get better, stronger, and healthier through this experience. That's my mindset."

"When I was missing for months or weeks with an injury, my goal is always to come back in a stronger, faster, better state than before, and to draw from that negative experience that can help me in case of getting hurt again in the future."

- What have you done to reduce the risk of injury?

Mane: "The team here really helped me in many ways, especially psychologically. I did a lot of things and did a lot of preventive training for my muscles and knees. Many of the exercises I did before and after training helped me stay healthy."

- You spent a successful time at U19 and participated in the Youth Champions League. What did you gain from that experience?

Mane: "I learned a lot from those games because that's different from the league. It's more intense and the opponent's level is higher."

- Other players who have played in the U19 have already gained a chance to play in the professional team. Does this make it harder for you to wait for your first appearance?

Mane: "I'm waiting for my moment because I know it will come. I'll take this opportunity with all my strength. But I'm really glad that the other guys have made their debut in the Bundesliga because we've known each other since U19. I understand their growth path and am very happy that they've achieved this goal."

- You've gotten close to the professional team and even made it into the Bundesliga roster. What did you get from it?

Mane: "I am very grateful for this and I am really happy to be training with a lot of top players who have played important games and are also members of the national team. Through them, I can improve my game and learn a lot from them."

- How do other central defenders help you?

Mane: "They did help me a lot while I was growing up. I was grateful for their help every day. They would tell me what to do and not do in different competition situations and give me a lot of advice."

-What are your goals this season?

Mane: "I am a little superstitious, so I don't want to say it. But maybe when the right time comes, I will reveal it."