Furio Valcareggi, the agent of Emanuele Giaccherini, has given a very open interview to Repubblica about the midfielder’s departure from Sunderland.
The player left the Black Cats to join Napoli this summer for €1.5m. He was already playing in Serie A last season, since he was on loan at Bologna.
Speaking about the offers the 31-year-old had to leave the English side, Valcareggi said: “Me and Giulio Marinelli, the lawyer with whom I take care of Giaccherini, had offers from China. But over thirty, you can’t think only about money.
“There’s also the quality of life. What do you do with millions if then you have to play in a megalopolis with 98% of polluted air? Who says “I’m going to China for a life experience” is lying. To China we go for money, period.”
On the decision to go to Napoli: “There we found an ideal situation. We substantially got the same English conditions for three years. It’s like staying at Sunderland, but with a house in Posillipo. Not bad, actually.”
Asked if Bologna was only a distant memory now, the agent said Giaccherini still likes the club due to his good time there, and compared to what happened to him at Sunderland: “No. Emanuele is very grateful to the city, to the fans, to the team and to Saputo.
“He had arrived from England where a manager, Advocaat, demoted him without knowing him. And in less than a year he returned to the national team. Bologna is still the city which regenerates the big players. “
