Six years later Damiano Lia will wear the yellow and red shirt of Acr Messina again. Siciliano di Lentini, the right-back, born in 1997, did not miss the opportunity to return after the first positive experience in the 2017/2018 season, finished in sixth position and only touching the qualification for the playoffs. A return linked, however, also to that of coach Giacomo Modica, as the defender himself explained: «I returned to Messina with great pleasure, also because I really wanted to find this square again. Furthermore, as soon as the coach called me to give me the news that he would be the coach, I didn’t think twice and came right back».
Lia is one of the coach’s loyalists and, in fact, after the first adventure with Messina, she also followed him to other clubs: «When I left the team, I followed the coach at Cavese. It was a wonderful year and then I had the opportunity to go to Serie B with Juve Stabia, but I never found space. In December I went on loan to Leonzio, but Covid blocked the championships ».
As far as the winger is concerned, his career continued at Juve Stabia, then at Imolese and, last year, with Vibonese where he found again Mr. Modica. An important link to train and grow and six years later the player who showed up in Messina is certainly different: «I became more aware of the fact that I was very guilty in the defensive phase. We worked a lot with coach Modica, because I knew I needed him to be able to improve on that part of the pitch», added Lia, praising a coach with whom he grew up a lot: «I’m lucky enough to work with him for four years and his training methods are nothing new to me. Maybe other guys struggle more but they’ve gotten used to it. Furthermore, the coach’s approach with the group has been very positive and we know that, all together, we have to work to start the championship well and fight until the end».
Maximum concentration on the new season with a clear objective: “Now we’re only thinking about Messina and we’ll try to do well”, continued the defender who, as in the past, has already demonstrated, with the two open-door training sessions at the “L’Ambiente Stadium”, the atmosphere that reigns around a team which, although much renewed, has created enthusiasm : «We are well aware that a square like Messina thrives on football. After so many years lived between Serie D and C we want to work to play in a different championship than the previous ones. We want to start the season well and dream together».
The first obstacle (Saturday 2 September) is Audace Cerignola away, already in the minds of all Giallorossi players: «Let’s think about our first opponent since the fixture list was published. Cerignola has a great team and will certainly fight to compete in the first places in the championship – concluded Lia -. However, we will not go there to take a trip or a vacation, but we will fight from the first to the last minute».