This year in Nice, leader of Ligue 1, coach Francesco Farioli can count on a major asset: Brazilian veteran Dante, who has just celebrated his 40th birthday.
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Francesco Farioli, aged 34, said he was amazed by his captain, who has been in his forties since October 18. Since the start of their collaboration, he has continued to praise the merits of the defender, who won the Champions League in 2013 with Bayern Munich.
“ We would have to clone it or do a more in-depth study to understand the secrets of its DNA, what it does is incredible ,” laughs the Italian technician. He is full of praise for Dante, not only for his level of play, but also for his exceptional athleticism throughout the matches.
Dante’s unwavering strength
The Italian coach shared an impressive anecdote to illustrate Dante’s resistance: “In Clermont (1-0), in the 90th minute, he made an impressive interception. I had the feeling he was going to get hurt. But he got up quietly, fresher than before. »
Dante owes his longevity to his perseverance and discipline. “ My goal is to give everything of myself, work harder every day to help my colleagues, on the field as well as in my leadership, and play as much as possible, ” he explained at the start of the season to AFP.
Indeed, since the start of the season, the nickname “Commandante” has resonated in Nice, where the emblematic captain of OGC Nice has played every minute of play in the best defense in Europe, only conceding four goals in 11 matches played.
🥇 @ogcnice 🥇 pic.twitter.com/vSgjoEvi9F
— Ligue 1 Uber Eats (@Ligue1UberEats) November 5, 2023
His serious knee injury that he suffered at the age of 37, during a meeting in Angers in 2020, therefore today seems to be relegated to the ranks of bad memories.
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