Forestieri glad to win first cup with JDT after 15-year stint in Europe

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 27 -- After a 15-year playing career, former Udinese and Watford striker Fernando Forestieri finally won his very first cup after helping Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) defend the Charity Shield for a record fifth time in a row, last night.

The 32-year-old Argentine said he was so happy that he wanted to shed tears when the final whistle was blown at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Iskandar Puteri, Johor.

Forestieri said that throughout his career, in which he had played in the best leagues in the world including Serie A in Italy and the English Premier League, he had never won any trophy, thus making the Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Cup very meaningful for him.

“I’m very happy and I want to thank the coach, to the boss who brought me here...and I just want to keep going, help my teammates. I’m very excited to do more for this club,” he said during the post-match press conference.

JDT beat KL City 3-0 to also clinch the Charity Shield title for the seventh time in eight seasons ahead of their first game of the 2022 Malaysia League (M-League) campaign when they host Penang FC on March 4.

To put the icing on the cake, Forestieri managed to get his name on the scoresheet in the 31st minute to double JDT's lead after Muhamad Nazmi Faiz Mansor opened the scoring in the 26th minute, while substitute Mohd Afiq Fazail scored the third goal in the 84th minute.

Despite having a record of playing in Europe’s best leagues, Forestieri said he never once thought he’s coming from the “better” side or feels he’s the best among all players in JDT.

“Here is very difficult, the weather, the defenders, like tonight, it was very hard to play with them because they were in their box and it was not easy to play.

“It’s a different league, okay I have the experience but I have to adapt because it does not matter if I come from there (best leagues) because here is different, I need to know the rules, how they (opponents) play,” he said.

Forestieri is among five new faces signed up by JDT to strengthen the squad ahead of the 2022 season, with striker Bienvenido Maranon and defender Carli de Murga among the others.

-- BERNAMA