Luan Capanni is not the best known name of a generation of the Flamengo categories that had Vinicius Jr. and Lincoln. The little hype did not, however, prevent Milan from discovering the young man, who now plays for Racing Santander, in Spain’s third division, on loan.
The young talent spoke to ESPN.com.br about his time at Lazio:
“Our squad then was really good. Coach Simone Inzaghi had been preparing me for a long time, talking to me all week and he even gave me many hances in the professional stage. The team helped me too.”
On his transition from being a midfielder to an attacker at Lazio:
“It is a role that I am still getting to know more now, and I was able to stand out. I got used to it quickly. I think I will play like this for the remaining of my career. I had to remove some addictions from the old position because a midfielder always wants to have the ball with him.”
Capanni started to study the new function to improve as quickly as possible:
“You have to learn in training sessions and must be watching match performances of other players in that same position and how the defenders position themselves. It is similar to a game of chess.”
On moving from Lazio to Milan:
“Milan presented me a good project and showed that I would have more chances to play because I would have a young squad around me. When Paolo Maldini and Milan call you, you can’t really think twice about it. We talked a lot and I thought it would be the best move for my career.”
Luan Capanni managed to stand out in the Milan youth sector team and played alongside names who are now in the main squad:
“My adaptation was very easy because the environment is really different. A Milan player behaves differently both on the field and off it. I did play with Daniel, Maldini’s son, for one season.”
“We were doing well, but the championship ended ahead of time because of the coronavirus global pandemic. I scored 9 goals in 12 matches, I was the team’s top scorer together with Lorenzo Colombo. I scored more goals, but I lost a few games due to an injury”, he said.
On Ibrahimovic:
“I had some contact with him a few times during training sessions. I did not speak with him because he’s not really talkative (laughs). He’s a different type of guy, he is very experienced. He changes the atmosphere when he’s on the field. Ibra pulls the whole group, whether they are the oldest or the youngest. He tries to get the best out of each player. It was great to meet this type of player. He is a football legend.”
By observing the way the Swede works on the field, Luan managed to draw some valuable lessons:
“What impresses me most is his technique because of his height. He does not make mistakes on the pitch. He has a lot of experience. He positions himself very well. He actually knows the right time to leave or enter the area and is very intelligent. Zlatan has a reading of the position that is out of the ordinary.”
The Brazilian had a chance to make some friendlies, including a game against Novara in which he took the place of Ibrahimovic in the second half…
“It was the most special moment of my time with the Rossoneri squad. It was a great experience for a young player such as myself. Whoever plays as a center forward is usually quite experienced. It was a great responsibility to step in for Ibrahimovic because whoever replaces him must do well (laughs).”
On the Rossoneri’s season so far:
“AC Milan’s team is really strong and is a unit. The players there are very serious guys. Coach Stefano Pioli knew how to manage them, and now, there is a great chance to earn a Champions League football qualification and maybe even win the Serie A Scudetto.”
On moving on loan to Racing de Santander:
“I didn’t have the chance to play for the top team, but at this moment, having this departure means to me to have this chance to return more experienced in upcoming games. Other teams from Spain and England’s second division stepped forward for me, but Racing was the best suited team. They are counting on me and said that they would give me minutes on the field. I think Spanish football offers a very dynamic tournament and it will be crucial for my career.”
“My contract is valid until the end of the season, and then I don’t know what will happen. I’m focused on this period. As for The future, I do not know how it would be like. I want to help Racing move up to the next division.”
If he succeeds in Spain, he could meet an old acquaintance…
“Vinicius is a friend and his uncle is a guy who helped me a lot. We are not going to see each other on the field anytime soon, but I hope to make good games for Racing so that we can meet again soon on the field.”
