As the away match in Chiavari approaches, Venezia FC is preparing for the challenge against Virtus Entella, scheduled for Saturday, April 11 at 3:00 PM at the “Enrico Sannazzari” Municipal Stadium.
This morning, Venezia’s arancioneroverde defender Joel Schingtienne spoke to the press, taking stock of both his personal condition and that of the team.

Joel Schingtienne, Venezia FC defender
“We are in the best possible position at the moment. We must continue on this path, maintaining a positive attitude.
It is essential to focus on one match at a time: everything depends on us. The league is very balanced, with teams close together in the standings, so there are no easier or more difficult opponents.

For me, the most important thing is to play: the more you take the field, the more you improve. Ours is a proactive style of football, in which defenders are also heavily involved, and this satisfies me both personally and as part of the team.
The first half against Juve Stabia was complicated: they were very dangerous on the counterattack. Our goal was to go into halftime ahead, and we managed to do that, so we could continue our game plan in the second half.

I get along very well with my defensive teammates Sverko and Svoboda: day by day we improve our understanding, and it’s a pleasure to play alongside them.

I am very happy to have reached fifty appearances in the arancioneroverde shirt. This season I have had consistency and, fortunately, no physical problems. I think I have improved in building the attacking phase and in duels, although I know I still need to improve in using my weaker foot.

My first match at San Siro was not easy: facing Milan in Milan is always challenging. The start was not easy, but since arriving in Italy I have grown. If we were to return to Serie A, I would certainly feel more prepared. Italian defensive football is very different from Belgian football, so I had to adapt and understand new tactical aspects.

At the start of the season we encountered some difficulties. We needed to get to know each other better and understand coach Stroppa’s demands, with whom I get along very well. After some complicated matches in which we failed to get results away from home, we managed to unlock things with a win, and from there we found consistency.

Every player dreams of the senior national team, and for me it would also be a great goal. But right now I am completely focused on Venezia; in the future, however, I would really like to have that opportunity.”