“The price doesn’t put any pressure on me.” Marin Pongracic said this on August 6th, during his presentation to the press after arriving in Florence. “It’s actually a beautiful thing, you can see that Fiorentina really wanted me and were ready to pay that high price. More than pressure it gives me confidence, but as always I’m responsible. For me it doesn’t matter if they pay 5 or 15, I want to give my best and we’ll see”.
So far, however, the situation has not gone well, on the contrary. A league appearance for 83 minutes, with expulsion for a combination of yellow cards against Parma and – not enviable – palm for the worst on the pitch with the ducals. It didn’t go much better with the Puskas Academy, with 143 games and two yellow cards in two games. A total of four in three games that distinguish him as a player who is foul-prone, but also clearly in difficulty for what seems to be a less than positive start to the season. Now the price paid is not (yet) pressure, but the risk of it becoming so is there as the championship continues.
Pantaleo Corvino, Lecce’s sporting director, has given him some mitigating circumstances in recent days. “I’m following his first few days and I know that adapting to a new game model can create turbulence. I hope the boy can overcome his first difficulties immediately.” Today Marin Pongracic turns 27.