Presentation press conference of Rachid Kouda and Christian Comotto

This afternoon, in the press room of the “Alberto Picco” Stadium, Spezia Calcio officially introduced to the media its two latest signings: Christian Comotto and Rachid Kouda.

The presentation was opened by Spezia’s Sports Director, Stefano Melissano, who took the opportunity to thank the club’s supporters for the record number of season tickets, “a strong signal that makes us very proud".

For Rachid Kouda, this marks his third spell wearing the white shirt: “I’m very happy to be back. When I learned I would be going out on loan, I didn’t even want to listen to other offers, because I knew that coming back here would mean coming home, so I didn’t think twice. Of course, every player’s goal is to play in Serie A, but right now I believe returning to Spezia is the best choice for me and for my development.

The disappointment from the end of last season is still there, but I also think it’s time to turn the page. We have to look ahead because we’re men, and we must always focus on improving. I’m certainly very happy to have returned and to have found the same fantastic group from a few months ago.

I’m comfortable in any midfield position and am fully at the coach’s disposal, whether as a central midfielder, an attacking midfielder, or a wide midfielder, I feel good anywhere. What I want is to contribute more in terms of statistics, and I hope this will be the year.

The coach welcomed me immediately with a smile, and we were joking and laughing together from the start. I’m happy to be reunited with him as well as the whole squad, which, I must stress once again, is absolutely fantastic.

I hope this will be an important season for me, both in terms of minutes played and in goals and assists, and I truly hope it will be a great year for all of Spezia and for the city as a whole.

At the moment I feel good physically, and I hope that continues throughout the season. I was able to get back on the field at the end of last season and make an impact after a tough spell when I wasn’t at my best.

I know I still have plenty of room to improve, and as I said earlier, I hope the upcoming season will be an important one in which I can take further steps forward in my growth.”

It was the first press conference in a Spezia shirt for Christian Comotto: “The first days of training have been very positive, and the group has welcomed me in an exceptional way. Being here is hugely important for me, because joining the first team this early shows me that I’ve had a good start to my career, and of course I hope to continue growing and learning as much as possible from my teammates.

First and foremost, I hope we can have a great season as a team. Personally, I’m ready to give the coach my full availability, he will decide where to play me, and I’ll give my best in any role and at any moment. Up to now, I’ve played all three midfield positions, and during the month I spent with AC Milan’s first team, I mostly played as a deep-lying playmaker. But as I said, wherever I’m placed, I’ll give everything I have.

I already knew about this club and had heard excellent things. Even in the first friendly against Viareggio, the fans proved to be fantastic, truly special. The Sports Director had also told me about their passion. Right now, I feel really good here, and I can’t wait to see the stadium full, hopefully as early as Monday’s Coppa Italia match against Sampdoria.

I’m a huge football fan, so last year I often watched Serie B, and when I followed Spezia’s matches, I felt a connection with this club and this environment. So when the Director spoke to me, I had no doubts, he convinced me right away. I chose Spezia also because I had seen the passion of its fans and wanted to experience it firsthand.

The chipped penalty I took with Milan came to me naturally, though I think it received more media attention than it deserved, in my view, there was no need to make such a big deal out of it. I’m a young, calm player with a strong desire to work hard and earn every minute I play, always giving 100% in every situation.

My father has always been a major influence in my life, giving me excellent advice since I was a child. I hope to take from him the competitive spirit and determination on the field, which I think are two of my best qualities. The coach welcomed me very well, telling me to take things slowly because I’m still young, but so far, things have been going great.

Choosing Spezia was not a difficult decision at all, because I immediately felt great trust from the Director. The last young player to come through here is now playing for a big club, so I hope I can follow a similar path. Salvatore Esposito has been helping me a lot, both on and off the field, he’s a player with great quality, and I’m sure he’ll make a big impact this season. In every training session, I try to learn something from each of my teammates, because I’m the youngest in the group and have everything still to learn.”

Finally, Sports Director Stefano Melissano commented: “Among our objectives is to sign another goalkeeper, as we’re assessing a few situations beyond Sarr’s minor injury. For example, Crespi has asked to go play elsewhere, and we’d like to have three goalkeepers plus Leonardo from the Primavera squad, so we’re evaluating, together with the coach, the profile we’ll bring in.

Outgoing transfers? Some players have turned down offers, so we’ll see what happens, but decisions were already made a year ago. A few players would struggle to make the squad list even just in terms of numbers, so we’ll work together to find them a club, because I don’t believe a professional wants to stay off the pitch and focus only on the financial side.

Lapadula? He’s recovering, and we’ll see if there are any updates in the market, but for now there’s nothing new.

As for the left winger position, we are assessing our options".