Sampdoria forward Lorenzo Mezzotero has expressed his pride and excitement after receiving a call-up to Azerbaijan’s U21 national team for the first time.
As reported by İdman.Biz, the Italian-born attacker said representing Azerbaijan is a major honour and admitted he is eagerly awaiting the opportunity to join the squad.
“It is a great source of pride for me to receive a call-up from Azerbaijan’s U21 national team,” Mezzotero said in an interview with AZERTAC.
“I am very happy and excited about this invitation. I lived in Azerbaijan for six years and I love this country very much. That’s why I cannot wait to join the team,” he added.
The young forward also spoke about his personal ambitions, stressing that his current focus is on continuous development and helping the team achieve success.
“At the moment, all my attention is focused on improving every day. I want to work hard, enjoy football, contribute to the team’s victories and score goals. The rest of the success will come step by step,” Mezzotero stated.
The striker underlined that wearing the Azerbaijan shirt carries special meaning for him and also confirmed that he has never received an offer from Italy’s national team setup.
Mezzotero is a graduate of the Neftchi Football Academy and currently plays for Italian side Sampdoria. His inclusion is viewed as part of Azerbaijan’s wider effort to strengthen its youth national teams with internationally developed talent ahead of future qualification campaigns.
Azerbaijan U21 will hold a training camp in Baku from 28 to 30 May before continuing preparations in Isparta, Turkey, from 31 May to 10 June. During the camp, the team will play friendly matches against Bahrain on 6 June and Kyrgyzstan on 9 June at Sav Stadium.
