Zaniolo regrets Aston Villa injury and summer transfer decision | OneFootball

Nicolò Zaniolo admits he ‘didn’t have a lot of fun’ at Atalanta, although his time in Bergamo helped him grow and he regrets suffering an injury in his last Aston Villa game, which prevented him from participating in the Euros.

Zaniolo joined Fiorentina on an initial loan deal from Galatasaray in the January transfer window.

The Italian striker had spent the first part of the campaign at Atalanta, where he accumulated 23 appearances and three goals across all competitions.

Fiorentina were interested in signing him last summer as well, and Zaniolo admitted he should have picked the Tuscans a few months earlier.

“In hindsight, I would have made a different decision in June. But football, like life, is made of choices, and I made mine,” the striker told Sport Mediaset via Calciomercato.com.

Zaniolo regrets Aston Villa injury and summer transfer decision

Nicolo Barella of FC Internazionale runs with the ball whilst under pressure from Nicolo Zaniolo of Atalanta during the Italian Super Cup Semi-Final match between FC Internazionale and Atalanta at Al Awwal Park on January 02, 2025 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)

“Bergamo was an experience that helped me grow regardless. However, I didn’t play much, and I didn’t have a lot of fun. Seeing how things turned out, I would have chosen Fiorentina already last summer.”

Zaniolo is only 25 but has already suffered two cruciate ligament injuries in his career.

“I went through the first one with more lightheartedness; I was still a kid and probably didn’t fully realize what had happened,” he said.

“The second one was a real blow because it came almost immediately after my return. I won’t hide that I had some doubts. I thought that maybe fate was telling me this sport was no longer for me. But my passion for the game prevailed, and if I’m here today, it’s mainly thanks to that.”

Another injury in his final appearance for Aston Villa last season, prevented him from being available for the European Championships in 2024.

“Missing the Euros hurt me a lot, especially because I got injured in my last match with Aston Villa just a few days before the training camp that would have led to the final squad selection,” he said.

“Despite that, I followed the tournament with passion and cheered for the Azzurri.”

During his loan spell at Aston Villa in the 2023–2024 season, Zaniolo made 25 Premier League appearances, scoring two goals. Overall, he played 39 games under Unai Emery, scoring three goals across all competitions.