Horatiu Moldovangoalkeeper bought by Sassuolo on loan with right of redemption and coming from Atletico Madrid, spoke to SassuoloChannel. Here are his words transcribed for you by SassuoloNews.net: “I started playing football when I was seven years old, but not as a goalkeeper at first. I started as a right-back for 5 years and then at 12 years old during a friendly against a team from my city, the goalkeeper of our team got injured with 40 minutes to go and the coach told me: ‘go in goal’ and that’s where I stayed.”
Rapid Bucharest?
“Rapid is in my heart, it’s the club that changed my life. I played there for three years, it’s a great team. I don’t know if you’ve seen any videos on Youtube, the fans are incredible. Then I needed a change, I took a huge step for myself and went to play a great championship in Spain and now I’m in Italy and everything is different to Romania”.
What was it like going to Atletico?
“Yes, it was tough to deal with the first few days in Madrid but I’m very happy because it’s a big club on a world level. I found myself in the dressing room with Oblak, Griezmann, many top players. In football it’s normal for these things to happen, when the opportunity presents itself you have to seize it. It was difficult, especially the first few weeks, in Bucharest I have my life, I know the people, I know the city, but this is the sacrifice you make for football”.
What is your relationship with your family?
“My parents read the news about me, we talk every day. My family means everything to me. My father is the most special person, we talk 20-30 minutes a day.”
Who is your idol and who is the best goalkeeper now?
“My idol is Iker Casillas. Even now, five years after his retirement, I continue to watch his videos, I think he is complete. In my opinion, Oblak is now the best goalkeeper there is, I trained with him for six months: he is incredible as a person and as a goalkeeper”.
Is your favourite club Rapid?
“Rapid is in my heart, it’s a great club in Romania, I like the fans, the city, I like everything. In Rapid my life changed in one year and I had the great opportunity to go to Atletico. If I hadn’t played there I probably would have stayed playing in Romania for my whole career.”
How did the transfer to Atletico come about?
“Yes, before the offer for Atletico, it was winter, and discussions were opening for my future. After the qualifiers with the national team I was playing all the games with excellent results and then it’s natural, many clubs start to be interested in you. And Atletico… it’s incredible! They contacted me on a Friday evening at 10pm and the sporting director said ‘Hi, I’m the sporting director of Atletico, tomorrow you have a video call with me and the president’. I thought it was a joke! Then the next day in the evening I had to play, in the morning at 10am I had the meeting with the sporting director and the president who told me ‘this is the contract, is it okay?’. I said yes and signed. They paid the termination clause to Rapid and on Monday I took off. Like in a movie, really!”.
The National team is back at the European Championships…
“Yes, it was a surprising start for Romania. We went to the European Championship after 8 years, a great result for Romania. Now Romania is a good team, they have many young and talented players. Now I will play for Sassuolo and after that I would like to return to the starting line-up of the national team, this is my goal”.
How was your first approach to Sassuolo?
“Everyone here is very kind, they support you, but now it is important to get results, after all I know that Sassuolo played in Serie A for a long time and now we have to go back there, it’s normal. There are the right conditions: the solidity of the club, the team, the players to do it”.
How did you see Sassuolo at the start of this season?
“I think we were unlucky, because in the first match we saw a chance slip away with a penalty in the 95th minute, Bari equalised in the 93rd but I think we’ll make up for it in the next matches.”
Are you having a good time?
“Yes, I like it here a lot, I like the people, the team, the coach. He’s a young coach, I like that he tries to play the ball and doesn’t only think about long balls like the coaches of the past. Now football has changed a lot. The goalkeeper is like a central defender and must know how to play with his feet”.
What did Mr. Grosso tell you?
“He welcomed me and told me he was here to help me and that he was happy to have me and that step by step I would find my place in the team.”
What is your goal this year?
“Play as many games as possible and manage to finish first to get back into Serie A again.”
What is your dream?
“My dream is to play in one of the ten best clubs in the world like Atletico or other teams. And now it’s to play and not sit on the bench.”