He fully entered Cagliari's ranks on one of the club's potentially toughest nights, against Juventus, but he made his mark. Last Sunday, Yanis Massolin marked his debut both in Serie A and for the Rossoblu, launched into the starting lineup by Fabio Pisacane in the match against the Bianconeri. "It was the dream I had as a child," he told the club's official channels about his first time in the top flight. "When you're young, you always want to reach the highest level possible in football. I'm truly delighted, especially to have done it in front of our fans, who gave us a huge boost."
Born in 2002, Massolin had to wait longer than expected before establishing himself. He made his Ligue 1 debut at 20, with Clermont, and in Italy he reached 23 last season with Modena. After making a name for himself in Serie B, Inter signed him in the last winter transfer window (leaving him on loan to the Emilian side until the end of the season), but he only spent the Nerazzurri's pre-season training camp, hampered by injury. "It was around 17 that I really started to take football seriously," he explains. "I didn't go through a professional youth academy, so I didn't follow the path everyone else does. I realized a little later that it could become a profession. My experience at Modena taught me so much. I learned so much there, and I also learned to adapt. That's why my acclimatization period was shorter here in Cagliari than when I came to Modena from France. Modena was a huge help to me."
Massolin arrived at Cagliari on loan with an option to buy and a counter-purchase. "They were the club that showed the most interest in me, with playing principles I really identify with," he said. " It was a logical, easy choice . As for Sardinia and Cagliari, I didn't know them personally, but I was pleasantly surprised: it's a beautiful city, I'm really happy to be here."
The day after tomorrow (6:30 PM) sees Cagliari face Monza, which is crucial for confirming their excellent start to the season. "We've all been working well during the week, as always, but we expect a tough match because they're a great team," Massolin said. "If I can be decisive in helping the team, all the better, but the most important thing is to get the three points. On a personal level? I'd like to play as many games as possible to gain as much experience as possible . My message to the fans? I'd like to give them a great season with lots of points, and I hope to win many home games, ahead of them."