Joel Pohjanpalo, who is the Venezia striker drinking beer with the fans: «Why are you surprised?»- Corriere.it

There’s a center forward with a glass of beer in his hand who’s getting the ball done Venice around the world thanks to his exultation together with the fans, under the banner of a contagious way of experiencing football: «But there is no doubt that I prefer wine and that my favorite drink is the spritz…» he laughs Joel Pohjanpalostriker of the neroverde team who has yet to save himself in Serie B, but is also one step away from dreaming of the playoffs thanks to the coach’s impact on the team Paul Vanoliformerly a key member of Antonio Conte’s staff and winner of the Russian Cup with Spartak Moscow.

Venice has an American ownership and a multicultural team who made their mark in Serie A last year despite being relegated. From this year it also has a Finnish striker who at the age of 20 had been included in the list of the best prospects in the world by the magazine Don Balon
and who then, due to injuries, made himself appreciated in Germany, with a parenthesis in Turkey. «Here there is a nice mix of football cultures that creates a great team spirit – says Joel – let’s see how far he can push us in this championship final. Venice is certainly a special place to experience football: we have a unique stadium in the world, I believe that no team goes to matches by boat. And then the bond with the fans is special, especially for me who have chosen to live in the city, is a continuous encounter in the calli, on the bridges. And it’s nice now that things are better, but it was also at the beginning of the season, when we were having difficulties: we know that especially in Italy, unlike in Germany, not all the fans are close to you when things go badly, here instead they all go in the same direction. It’s an incredible place to play.”

The bomber with beer in hand as a boy scored avalanches of goals, but had a plan B («I wanted to be a lawyer, but I did well with football, I was lucky»). And now, even though he scored four goals in the last game, he is surprised that his toast with the fans is making headlines: «People here are more relaxed than in Germany, they enjoy it more. But in football it’s a bit the opposite and the players are more distant from the fans. Instead I think it’s nice to show them how you are. And enjoy being close to the people who support the team: this way they realize the commitment we put in, even if things don’t always go as we want. That’s why we need their support.”

Pohjanpalo can be found in the heart of the opposing area or in the fish market a stone’s throw from the Rialto bridge: «The only problem is that I have to go there rather early: otherwise I ask my restaurant friends to get me something, they keep it aside for me and when I get back from training I’ll pick it up». Although he doesn’t speak Italian well yet, Joel fits perfectly into his city and is the only one from Venice who doesn’t live on the mainland. And even this surprises him a little: «I have no knowledge of what it’s like to live on the mainland, but I don’t understand what the problem is with living here, also because it definitely takes me less to go to training than in Berlin or Liverpool. The main problem remains that of the availability of long-term apartments here in Venice and consequently also the costs. It’s not that easy to find them, but I was lucky and couldn’t be happier with the lifestyle here in the city. The future of Venice? I’m not a politician, but it is clear that people live on tourism here. But if it were easier to live in the city also for those who work there, then there could be a greater balance between inhabitants and visitors: perhaps a new strategy is needed to have more residents».

Quick with reasoning like in the penalty area, Pohjanpalo is someone who knows very well the ups and downs that football can offer: «Ma even when the doctors told me that perhaps I could no longer be a footballer due to injuries, I didn’t lose heart, I didn’t give up, I just worked to get back to doing what I love». Words struggle to come out only in front of a question, a memory, a day with emotions that are difficult to manage, on June 12, 2021 at Parken in Copenhagen, the day of Christian Eriksen’s cardiac arrest during Finland-Denmark, Joel’s debut and his national team in a European Championship. With the striker’s own goal: «It’s really hard to find the words to explain the emotions of that day, I’m just saying that seeing Chris playing at a high level is fantastic. In the end, the message is always the same: enjoy football, life and the beauty of the little things».