From Brignani to Ceccherini, Castellón turns to the Italian market | OneFootball

After more than a century without Italians, CD Castellón have embraced the Italian market, capped this week by defender Federico Ceccherini.

The shift began a year ago when Fabrizio Brignani became the club's first Italian, with Tommaso de Nipoti arriving later that summer. According to El Periódico Mediterráneo, Italo-Brazilian midfielder Ronaldo Pompeu is part of that trend, while this summer added Antonio Gala and, this week, Federico Ceccherini from Italy.

An agent argues that chances are scarce for players in their late teens and early twenties in Italy, so Gala sought a fresh start at 22 to avoid stalling.

Christian Lantignotti, who coached Gala in Milan's academy, shares that view, saying Italy trusts youth less than Spain and that 18 or 19-year-olds struggle to establish themselves, often detouring through lower tiers.

That, allied to Spain's style, makes LaLiga and Castellón an inviting stage for Gala's game.

Off the pitch, Italians adapt quickly to Spain, including the language. On it, the shift can be tougher, especially for defenders, and Brignani had to evolve.

He later described a more open, faster game in Spain, with greater space and quality than Italy's tactical, collective focus. Training asked him to attack, dribble and break lines, demands he welcomed. His progress was clear last season, although he is now out long term.

Source: El Periódico Mediterráneo

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”