Leonardo Balerdi details his progression under the orders of De Zerbi

Present at a press conference before the Coupe de France match, Leonardo Balerdi looked back on his season at OM, who had long been criticized by praising the impact of Roberto De Zerbi: “This year, I have a lot of responsibility in terms of the game, that's one of the things that has changed for me. That's what the coach asks me, to build the game and try to watch. I pass a lot. At first it was different. It's something that will improve my game. The coach is very demanding with that, but I like what he asks of me. And if it can help the team, I agree with the coach, I listen to him. I don't know if it's the cuff, but, there were a lot of changes“, he said.

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He continued: “This is not an excuse, but a lot has changed. Adaptation to the system, more responsibility with the ball, new players. I learn all the players, from players like Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg for example or Adrien Rabiot. I feel good with the team now, that helps me too. I also feel good as captain. I'm very happy at the moment. The national team helped me a lot in terms of confidence. I am very demanding of myself. I always want to be the best individually. I always think about the collective, but I have to be the best on the pitch to help them».