WhoScored Exclusive: Lorenzo Tonelli Talks On Team Ethic, Aspirations & Idols with WhoScored

When you speak of FC Empoli you think of tactical organisation and defensive solidity. The work of head coach Maurizio Sarri is paying dividends. Although their position in the table means they are still battling against relegation, the performances they’ve delivered so far allow them to look to the future with optimism.

We talked about all of this with Lorenzo Tonelli, a 25-year-old product of the FC Empoli youth sector and centre-back for the senior first team for the last five years. He was one of the main protagonists behind last year’s promotion and has been a key performer in this season’s bright start. Quick, reactive, explosive and very dangerous on set pieces, Tonelli has also helped his team with his four goals so far.

Let’s see what he had to say about himself and his team during his exclusive interview for WhoScored.com.

FC Empoli have been one of the surprise packages in Serie A this season and team have received plenty of praise for the way in which you've been playing upon returning to the top-flight. How important do you feel it is that you continue to try and play in the same manner to avoid relegation?

Every player at FC Empoli knows exactly what he has to do, what his duties are and what the team and the manager expect from him. Still, we have to try and improve by working hard every day, knowing that our organisation is the base of any success.

Which aspects of the team’s football can be improved?

Every single aspect can be improved. As soon as you think that you have reached something, you risk not maintaining the same level of performances. In football, people tend to reduce everything to goals scored and conceded, so the idea is to score more and concede less. This is only possible if all players share the same idea of football, and if they all work in the same direction towards a common goal.
 
FC Empoli rank 7th for possession and 8th in terms of pass accuracy this season, so is it fair to say that the manager doesn't want you to be reactive in matches?

We are not a physically strong team, so we cannot battle with other teams from that point of view. Our coach has been here for the last three years, and he has always insisted we should keep the ball and control the game. We honestly have nothing to lose. We never enter the pitch and aim for a draw. We like to enjoy ourselves while playing football. Every one of us sees each match as an opportunity to prove himself and to show his qualities.

Do you modify your approach according to your opponent?

It’s easier for us to play against strong teams as we have nothing to lose. Everybody expects you to lose against Juventus, it’s something people accept. On the other hand, when we play against teams at our level, people expect us to get a good result, as recently happened against AC Cesena. Those are big points and we feel more pressure. Having said that, we play every game and face every opponent with the same attitude.

FC Empoli's team rating of 6.92 so far this season from WhoScored.com is enough to rank 13th in Serie A, a position that would put you clear of the relegation battle. Do you agree that the side has been unlucky to only find themselves in a relegation battle to now?

I fully agree with that. Unfortunately we have dropped a few points down the road. There were a few home games we would have deserved to win, but we had to settle for a draw. I think we deserve a similar amount of points as US Palermo (33 up from 24 at the time of writing). We have certainly dropped five or six points so far that would have left us a few places higher in the table.

Is the team's focus on solely avoiding relegation or do you feel that the performances have provided enough encouragement to hold higher aspirations this season?

Football is very unpredictable, so it’s difficult to say what might happen. We all agree that our goal is avoiding relegation. We would be happy to manage that on the very last match day, but if we could reach our goal a few weeks in advance it would be right to set new goals in order to keep our motivation high. Still, our primary goal has to be avoiding relegation.

From a personal perspective, as a centre-back, how much pride do you take from the fact that only 6 sides have conceded fewer goals than FC Empoli in Serie A this season?

I am very happy and proud about that, but this wouldn’t be possible without the help of the whole team. People might think FC Empoli have a great defence, but our strength is that we are a tight-knit group and an organised team. We defend and attack with 11 players, and all credit has to be shared amongst all of us.

You began the season in eye-catching form in front of goal. How pleasing was it for you to get off the mark in the top-flight in such impressive fashion and did your first Serie A goal mean that much more coming against a giant like AC Milan?

These are incredible and fully unexpected feelings! I would have never imagined entering the pitch, scoring against AC Milan and getting cheered by my teammates! I was more worried about which forward I would have to face, and I was expecting them to be out of this world! It’s difficult to say what I felt exactly, it was so unexpected. After scoring, I was so happy to have helped my team, and I was determined to do so even more. The joy I felt was enormous. When I got back home, people thanked me and greeted me everywhere. It was simply fantastic.

You currently have the best statistical rating from WhoScored.com of any FC Empoli player (7.39) and third best of any centre-back in Serie A. How have you rated your own performances?

I don’t read into the way in which journalists measure my performances too much. When it is subjective like this, if you play at AC Milan or at FC Empoli, the same level of performance is evaluated differently. I have never had the feeling of playing a perfect match. There is always something you can do better, and our coach helps us recognize our mistakes during video sessions. It’s crucial to accept that you make errors, otherwise it’s impossible to correct them. We always have the chance to work hard and improve, and this is how I hope to become a better player.

Having been capped at under-21 level are you hopeful that your form this season will have urged Antonio Conte to consider you for a senior international call-up this year?

To be honest with you, I don’t think about the national team at all. I hear rumours sometimes, but they do not interest me. Last year I was a regular starter in Serie B, while two years ago I was only playing from time to time. Now I am doing OK in my first Serie A season, and all I want is to demonstrate that I deserve to be here and that I can prove myself at this level. I don’t think it is right to immediately link a player to the national team. To play for your country is the conclusion of a process of growth, which in my opinion has to last longer than a matter of months.

Are there any defenders, both past and present, whose playing style and ability you admire in particular?

My idol has always been Fabio Cannavaro. I grew up watching him, and my way of playing is more similar to his than that of other great defenders like Alessandro Nesta, who is more like my colleague and friend Daniele Rugani. Hopefully we will have the same success they had with Italy (he laughs)!

According to WhoScored.com's statistically calculated player characteristics, your key strengths include aerial duels, blocking the ball, tackling and concentration. Is this an assessment you agree with and are there any specific aspects of your game that you are keen to improve upon?

I agree on everything apart from the concentration. All the coaches I have had so far have told me that I need to improve on that. I am an instinctive player, and I know that sometimes I get carried away. I like to take risks and I prefer to play a vertical ball, rather than an easy pass to my teammate next to me. This is dangerous though, and I have to be more careful. I am working on that with our coach and with his assistant Giovanni Martusciello, training in specific game situations. It is already getting better, but I know I still have a lot of work to do.

How impressed have you been with Lorenzo Tonelli's first season in Serie A? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below