Manor Solomon was officially presented as a Fiorentina player on Thursday, speaking for the first time at a press conference at the club’s Viola Park training complex.
The 26-year-old Israeli winger, who joined on loan from Tottenham after a short spell at Villarreal, has already made three appearances for the club against Cremonese, Lazio, and Milan.
“I’m happy to be here,” Solomon said. “Regarding the reception I got in Rome from Lazio fans, I didn’t pay attention to the boos. I’ve experienced things like that before in Spain and I know it happens. But as I said, I’m not here to talk about politics, only about football. In Spain nothing happened. I am Israeli, Jewish, and I love my country. I prefer to leave politics aside. What happened in Spain stayed there, and my decision to come here was not based on political considerations or any other reason.”
Asked about the differences between the leagues he has played in, Solomon explained: “I’ve only been here for two weeks, but I already noticed the differences between England and Spain. Serie A looks like a more tactical league, while in the Premier League the pace is much faster. I’m looking forward to getting to know this environment better.”
Solomon: Different tactics in Italy, England
He added in another answer: “The English league is faster, everything is at a higher tempo. In Italy there are different tactics, and there is more possibility for one-on-one moves.”
Solomon also described his reaction when Fiorentina first contacted him.
“When they called me and I saw the position in the table, I said to myself, ‘It can’t be that Fiorentina are last,’” he said. “After that I spoke with people at the club and understood that this is a big team. I like challenges, and I’m sure that with the new coach and the new players we can achieve good things and stay in the league without any problem. We have an excellent training facility and many good people working here. You can build a future.
“Fiorentina is one of the biggest clubs in Italy, with enormous history. I like challenges, I think it’s a big challenge, but I’ve seen many good things. I’m convinced we will improve and rebuild.”
On his preferred position, Solomon was clear.
“I like playing on both the left and the right. I played most of my career on the left wing, but I feel comfortable on the other side as well. I’m a winger, and my role is to create chances, provide assists, and also score. I’ll try to do all of that – that’s why I came here.” He reiterated later: “I can play on both wings, but for most of my career at Shakhtar, at Fulham, and at Leeds I played more on the left than on the right. But I can also play on the other side, whatever the coach asks of me.”