Okay, Joseph, so you've decided to play football in Malta and now you're here playing for Slema Wanderers. Do you like it in Malta?
Yes, thank you guys for the invitation.
It was a pleasure.
Yes, I just start to say thank you for this opportunity and you know, the life in Malta is very beautiful.
It's my first time for being in Malta, but it's very wonderful. The city is amazing.
I love the football, I love the food, especially rabbit. I cried when I came to some country, you know, you need to cry the special food of the country.
I love, I love, I am good for the moment. Everything is okay.
The important thing is that you stay away from pastitsi because they're not very good for you.
We also saw that you also like spending some time on a boat in the sea as well.
Yeah, yeah, no, I see, I see.
When I go to the Blue Lagoon, I move a lot, sometimes with my friend, you know, when you have the rest, some day off, we go outside Malta.
Of course, man.
This is the good city. You have many things to do. This is very, very, very beautiful.
Yeah, great.
What is the level of Malta's football at the moment? Like how would you compare Slima and Hamrun when it comes to Serie A or Serie B?
I think it's good, you know. The thing is important, especially in Malta, no?
It's not the new football, but it's some football you want to be, you want to say, I am, I am, okay.
I want to, the football in Malta, you want to be up.
For this, you need the players, some like me, with the experience, for bringing this experience of Malta,
bring the level of the Slima up, the Maltese, the championship of Malta.
And that is important, that is important for the player, for the foreigner, he's coming.
Try to go for the qualification for the Europe, not just for play, the qualification, but try to go in the official competition.
It's important for the Malta football, for the national team of Malta, because it brings over the level of.
That is for bringing the player up, and I think it's okay. If I can bring my small, small, small participation, it's okay.
For this, I am more Malta.
Thank you for that, we appreciate it.
Marquetti as well, playing over here, we had Mikkole in the past, he's had quite a few players who have done us the pleasure of playing.
Mikkole had scored against West Ham once, Berker Karabit West Ham 1-0, I was there in the stadium, but then lost on penalties.
Which team did you support when you were a child, Joseph?
You know, when I am young, I see many French TV, because my country, I speak French, you see my Celia.
For the fans, for the stadium, I got two shows, the first one, the Italian coach.
And they've got fans similar to those of Southern Italy, tough fans.
Big fans, they build atmosphere in the stadium, and I'm a Celia.
So you hate Paris Saint-Germain?
I am professional, I hate Paris Saint-Germain, but I love the fans, the atmosphere.
I think this time, the big one is the big one.
They do very well.
Do you need to buy it? I believe it's still there.
It's still there?
Yes, they did drug bar.
Who was your favorite player as a child?
For the moment, now or...
We can do both, when you were a child and now as well.
No, no, it's not the player, it's my brother.
Because when I started, I was just looking for him.
In the morning, he brings me to the training, he doesn't play in the professional level.
The name is Douglas, he's my brother.
But the sacrifice he makes every day for bringing me to the training, the session.
Stay, I can see, when you are young, you can see with the eyes, his breath.
That gives me the passion for this war.
Today is my war, it's my war.
This is not the player, I love many players, but the player can bring me in this situation, he's my brother.
That's amazing. Is he here in Malta with you?
No, for him, no, he's not here, he's in Cameroon.
You should come over for a holiday.
Take him to the blue, that would be nice.
In your career so far, you've played for Lazio, Barri, Salernetana, Latina, and you even had a bit of a trial at Napoli, which we discussed earlier.
Now, which of these teams is the closest to your heart?
Is there one of these teams that, when I say their name, your heart tingles?
Really, really, I don't just have one.
Because in all these teams, also in the Chinese, because I don't want to forget, the Chinese, I am very grateful.
Because I stay, some like I am at home.
Because the fans, the society, the player, they do very, very, very, very thing for me.
I don't have one, but if I make to do some, some classific, I can put the Lazio.
Yes, because the Lazio, he give me my first professional concreta after the Salernetana, also the Barri, the China, the Latina.
It's everything, he give me, you know, in the life, in the life you need to take.
Some is good or is bad, you need to take, and you can bring your bad luck for go, for go, for, it's the life, it's the life.
But I am grateful, it's all, all, all of the team, where I am.
That's great.
Lazio are kind of struggling this season, their 10th place in the league at the moment.
What do you make of this?
There's Sarri, who's a good coach, they've got decent players in the mobile and Luis Alberto.
What do you think the problem is?
No, no, it's not the problem, it's the football.
Football is not the same like Mathematica, no?
It's not one by one, it's two, the football is sometimes different.
The season is different, Sarri is very, very good coach.
Yeah, of course.
It's not me, I can tell for him, but he's the main thing he do in the life, in mobile, it's not because he don't score, this year he's become the, you know, the same, Luis Alberto.
Especially I know because I train him many times when I am in Lazio.
No, this year, I think this year is just one moment.
He be good in the Champions League for the moment in the league.
The situation is not bad, but I think in the second part you can do better.
For go back in the European qualification, I don't know if it's Champions League or Europa League, but I think in the final, in fighting for go back in the next year.
They just lost their best player.
Of course, Sarri Gheimelinkovic, Sarri Gheimelinkovic.
It's obviously going to impact them a little bit, but I think slowly, slowly they can get back to where they were.
But obviously we mentioned that you played with Salerno Natana as well.
Now, Jake and I will have a very special soft spot for Salerno Natana.
We love him.
First of all, we love Southern Italians and secondly, the songs that they make, the supporters, the T4 that they have for the team, we just think they're amazing.
There's a day in Salerno that is called San Minala Day.
Can you tell us what this bloody San Minala Day is, please?
It's amazing, amazing thing.
I think the beautiful thing is some fans, you know, you do it in my life.
Because when you put this day for me, it's amazing.
And everybody, every fans, when the day is coming, the day first, my Instagram, my message, my mail is full, full, full, full.
It's the good thing, you know, when I finish my life.
And I think many people, they can remember me, you know, for this.
Because I make some good goals in one day, we win one difficult game.
And I'm very happy for this.
I thank you for the fans for this.
You know, when you have some, this prize, this prize is the good thing.
I am very grateful for the fans of San Minala.
San Minala is a good thing, it's good thing, especially if it's for me.
You should be very proud. That's great. It's a rare emotion.
It hasn't all been hight, though. In 2014, you made international news when your age was publicly disputed.
Of course, the Italian FA investigation confirmed that your age was accurate at the time.
How did this affect you personally?
No, personally, for me personally, nothing.
When you don't do the mistake, you don't need to be, I don't know.
Like worried?
Yes, yes, you don't need to be, no. Because you know you are this, you don't do the mistake.
What you want to scare, no? You don't need.
And in this time, when the news is coming out, I think the people, you take care of me, you don't manage the situation.
And now in the time past, now, I think if I go back, you make to do some interview.
The last year, maybe take one official position, one interview, one president, because you know I am not a mistake.
Of course.
Especially for me, for my family.
When I think the person of take care of me, my agent, the person, because in that moment I am the player of the world.
17 years old.
Yes, but of the league, I am the player, I do very, very well.
I have the team, same like Manchester United, the Paris Saint-Germain, I have many, many, I do very good.
After I have seen five years for the Lazio, I play the time when you have the big, big player, some like when I play in this time, the time you have Closet.
Of course.
The different player is not the football like now the football is different.
But in that moment you have the player, the Federico Marchetti, you know, is a different level, different mentality.
And I think just for this, I think the club, the Lazio maybe in that moment, need to take the position, need to do something, because you know I do everything, the test, the exam, because I think what, what happened?
I am not just coming.
When I go to the Lazio, I live in Italy, five, five or three years. I am not new.
I do everything, I go to the school in Italy, I am not new, I just not, I am not just coming.
I think just for this, especially for my family, for my mother, but for me, I don't care, because even if you don't know something, you don't care.
Exactly.
What happened?
I think it's not maybe, because sometimes when you want to focus on football, right, but there is noise outside of football, sometimes a lot of players, they find it difficult to just focus on the game, where does that go? Did you maybe feel that a bit when there were these speculations about your age?
No, no, depend the person you have in your life.
When I come in Italy, I come in not my family, nobody, I just come in and thank you for God, thank you for the opportunity, the government in Italy, he takes care of me.
But after football, you know, now it's more dangerous, but first the person just needs to take, if the player is some like a food, when you go to the supermarket, you want the bread, you give the money, you don't care if the bread, because you just, that is the mistake.
When I come in the person in the town of me, he doesn't take care of me, just know how to play football, don't worry, you don't need to speak, don't act, but now you know, I love many, many opportunities for this, for nothing, because many people, I am a good player.
I do many things, everything when I play, every time I play, I never stay on the bench, I play, but many people don't remember this, they just remember it for my age, they just don't speak with me for the player football.
I have the opportunity for going to the big team after the last year, but every time the last moment, everything is okay, the last moment is, oh no, but you have this for you, for your age, or what happened.
Yeah, that's right.
Nothing, you know, every time, every day, you need to give some reason in the team, it's not true, you know.
The club is responsible for protecting its players, especially a 17-year-old wonder kid, essentially.
You don't give me, especially, you don't give me five years, in fact, it's a big team, it's not the team of the capital of Italy, it's not the team with the same likes, there's more teams, you know.
I think just for this, and I think if I come back, I think I can, the last unit to take the position in that moment.
Yeah, I think so, like Jake said, I mean, especially a 17-year-old player, first you want to protect any player that is part of the Lazio family, but secondly, obviously you said you were sought after by Manchester United, by Paris Saint-Germain,
so, fucking protect the player that you brought in in the first place, but hopefully they learned from the situation, and they'll handle it better with the next person, you know, I hope.
Hopefully, we'll learn.
Now, which players do you enjoy watching most in Serie A?
Joseph.
In Serie A, I love many, many players, but I see when I watch the game, especially for my position,
I love beautiful football, Messi, Ronaldo, of course, Neymar, but when I say Lazio, I look at Biglia, look at Leiber, because it's my position.
The movement, the take care of the body, the work he do, especially outside of the pitch, I love this, it's amazing.
Just see, you'll just take an example, and others, and forget someone, but many, many, I look especially for my position, because I don't have the player, you know, but when I look, watching the game,
especially with the midfield, I want to see the movement, the position, when he put the body for the ball, for the communication, that is very important for me.
Today, I don't watch the game, just for watching, you know.
In the time, when you go up in the edge, you can learn many things.
And for me, watching the game is important for seeing how the midfielder has the ball, how the midfielder put the body, how the midfielder, he can turn, for goal, for every charger, the team.
That is very important for me.
I think two similar players that play that position, that maybe you would enjoy in Serie A, Ismael Ben Nasse, of Milan, excellent, and Stanislav Lobotka, of Naples.
Those two in that position, they're my favourite in Italy.
I know Cialano Glo, as well.
I know Cialano very well.
We don't talk a lot about Cialano Glo, because we are Milan fans.
Everybody has the team that they can enjoy, it's okay.
Perfectly fine.
No, it's okay.
What's next for you in your career?
Next, I just enjoy my moment.
I am on Marta, especially on the cinema, and I am grateful for the opportunity I have on the cinema.
I don't come in cinema in the head, for sure.
I am Joseph Minara, I come in cinema because I want to restart.
For sure, no.
For the team head, the football of Marta, because first I come in cinema, I speak with the director, the coach, the society.
In cinema, I want to do everything.
I want to come back in the first division, the next year, the second division.
You have some projects.
If you can give support for the fans, for the city, for the championship, it's okay for me.
I don't think for the future.
Because my future is past now.
If I don't do well, you don't think the future is now.
You don't do nothing.
It's important for me now.
I enjoy my team head.
Now you have a good position.
Another game we can do very better.
First, the break-up for the Merry Christmas.
It's okay.
My next is now.
I am focused for this season, for Slim, for the fans.
You're in fourth place at the moment, right?
Yes, fourth place.
At the same point in the Mazashop.
Forza Slim.
There we go.
Great. I don't know if there's anything you would like to add, to talk about, maybe?
Now we are for the Merry Christmas.
Every fan, especially of Slim, or in the world, in the Merry Christmas, everybody is writing.
Just hope, God, you can give everybody the healthy.
It's important.
That is what we're preparing for, for the New Year, for the family.
Nothing. Just this. Thank you for the interview.
Of course.
You have been with me today.
It's a beautiful place for me to speak in my life.
Sorry for my English.
It's my first time I do the interview in English.
You did very well, honestly.
I cried.
The next time I'll be better.
Come on. You were perfectly fine.
You too, humble.
Before we end the interview, can you please say, this is Joseph Minala, and you're listening to Seria R Spotlight.
This is Joseph Minala. You listen on Seria R Spotlight.
Thank you very much.
Thank you very much, Joseph.
This is Seria Spotlight.
If you like Seria R, or have ever liked it in the past, it's a good opportunity for you to listen once a week, and you'll get filled in.
In the football weekend, that's like the main dish.
But then, a few days later, you drop your episode, and that's like the dessert.
And the dessert is just perfect.
It's good, okay?
It makes it feel like we're all sitting in a room together, just BSing with each other.
The atmosphere is fantastic.
I promise nobody will ask you to send boob pics.
At some times, maybe good, at some times, maybe shit.
I love how you go into so much detail and show so much passion towards each and every team.
Literally, no team is left undiscussed.
When I listen to you, it's like I'm talking to you in a pub.
It's like I'm chatting to a friend, and you're chatting to me.