Busio relishing new Venezia role: ‘We deserve to be in Serie A’ | OneFootball

USMNT midfielder Gianluca Busio finally makes his Serie A return this weekend against Milan in a new role after the Olympics and assures he ‘wouldn’t want to be anywhere else’ but Venezia.

The 22-year-old was ruled out of the first three rounds of the season because he was participating in the Paris Olympics for the USA and then got injured.

He is expected to be in the starting XI against Milan at San Siro and will be in a new, more advanced trequartista role behind the strikers.

“I really like this role, as I started out in that position with a more attacking bent,” Busio told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

“I might be a bit further forward, but I will not lose the basic approach of the midfielder. I think that in every role, you have to bring some of your own personality into it.”

He was pivotal in their promotion from Serie B via the play-offs last season, scoring seven goals with five assists, and returns for only his second Serie A campaign.

“I do think that I’ve changed over the last three years. That was a tough season, I realised I had to really raise my level, which is what the two seasons in Serie B were focused on. Now that I know Italian football better, I am ready.”

Venezia growing with Busio

Busio has already worked with four different Venezia coaches, currently under the orders of Eusebio Di Francesco.

It hasn’t been a great start to the campaign, as they picked up one point and scored one goal in three rounds, along with crashing out of the Coppa Italia to Brescia.

“Paolo Zanetti worked with me when I was a teenager, he knew whether to be harsh on me or go easier. As for Paolo Vanoli, his style was perfect for the qualities he saw in me. I could give things a go, knowing if it went badly, that can happen. I had the freedom to invent, to roam around looking for the ball or stay up and go for an assist.”

If he does play tomorrow, it will be Busio’s 100th competitive appearance in the Venezia jersey.

“Obviously it will be tough, as Milan have quality and San Siro is not an easy place to go if you’ve never played there before. We feel ready and deserve to be in Serie A.”

The player recently signed a new contract to June 2026, adding one year to his previous deal.

“My contract was going to expire in 2025, but I never felt there was a risk I could let it run down. It would’ve created a difficult situation. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else but at Venezia.

“Many people believe in Venezia as a club, as a football project, and the progress we’ve made over the last three years is obvious.”