APPIANO GENTILE - Rodrigo Palacio was the guest on tonight’s edition of Prima Serata, to air at 21:00. The Argentine champion is training once again with the team after the muscle injury he suffered in the league match away to Sampdoria on 3 April, and today he spoke to Inter Channel to respond to the many emails that arrived for him in the last few days.
"I’m fine now and fit to be involved in the game against Udinese. Of course, that’s the coach’s decision. It’s never easy to be injured and away from training with your team-mates, but fortunately it’s all behind me now," stated Palacio.
There were many questions about his now famous braid: "Have I started a
fashion trend with my braid? I don’t know. I grew it a long time ago, then I
started to play football and kept it. For superstitious reasons? No, first I
had long hair, but then I decided to cut it short and just leave the braid. Do
my team-mates ever tease me and tell me they’ll cut it off? Yes, I cut a bit of
it, but not completely because it’s become my trademark. Would I cut it off if
we were to win the Scudetto and Coppa Italia next year? First, let’s focus on
winning these things, and then we’ll see."
The Nerazzurri star recounted lots of interesting facts about himself, such as
his original shirt number. "I played many years at Boca Juniors with the
number 14 and I really liked it. Whenever I went to a new team I always
requested it. But when I arrived at Genoa it belonged to Beppe Sculli, so I
took number 8 and have had it ever since."
There were many other interesting replies for the fans, who had bombarded the Inter Channel offices with their email requests. "My ideal partner in attack? I really like playing with Milito because he’s a very intelligent player and helps you so much on the pitch. It’s a pleasure to play with him. I also combine well with Rocchi.
"What should a 10-year-old do to become as good as Rodrigo Palacio? You have to train a lot, listen to the advice from your coach and give your all in every workout. How do I shoot so well on goal? I’m not precise, but it’s something you can train for. I’ve improved a lot, especially in my final step. Did I immediately begin playing as a striker? As a youngster you play everywhere on the pitch. Then as you get older you go where you’re more comfortable."
