New Feyenoord captain Luciano Valente scored the only goal in Sunday's city derby against Sparta (0-1). After the match, the midfielder spoke to the cameras of ESPN about the captaincy and his partnership with Gjivai Zechiël.
Valente is full of praise for Zechiël. "Gjivai is a fantastic player. I’m very happy that he is here. I get on very well with him and we work a lot together. You could clearly see that again today."
He was referring in part to the winning goal, which Zechiël set up. "That is simply a top ball. We work on that a lot," he says. At the same time, the midfielder admits Feyenoord nearly paid for their missed chances late on.
New role
"I had to come into the office and then the staff explained how they saw me. They know how part of last year went," Valente says. "The staff then asked whether I was open to the captaincy."
For Valente, it marks an encouraging step in his career. "I think it is a very nice development for my career. I feel that responsibility as well," he continues, adding that he has the backing of his team-mates.
Captaincy was a hot topic at the Rotterdam club last season. Robin van Persie made Sem Steijn captain and took the armband off Quinten Timber. In the end, Timon Wellenreuther became Feyenoord’s captain.
Despite his new role, the 22-year-old midfielder does not feel any extra pressure. "Of course, people look much more at a captain, but to me it does not feel like pressure. I see it more as a responsibility and want to take on certain leadership in matches. I did not hesitate to do it," he concludes.