Maxi Lopez says Torino 'expect more' from him, but he intends to stick with them until the end of his career.
The 31-year-old was the best striker for the Granata over 2015, with 16 goals in total, but his conditions of form have been erratic.
Having just renewed his contract until 2018, he admits it's time to do a little extra.
Maxi Lopez says Torino 'expect more' from him, but he intends to stick with them until the end of his career.
The 31-year-old was the best striker for the Granata over 2015, with 16 goals in total, but his conditions of form have been erratic.
Having just renewed his contract until 2018, he admits it's time to do a little extra.
“We're all expecting something more,” he told La Gazzetta dello Sport. “[Coach Giampiero] Ventura expects more from me, and I expect to do more compared to the past. He always tells me not to be satisified.
“If I didn't enjoy the Coach's trust I doubt they'd have renewed my contract. I can only return that trust now.
“I knew when I arrived here that everyone was skeptical. But I also knew I'd make it, because I believed in myself, and the President, the sporting director and the Coach believed in me too.
“They gave me the strength to change the minds of those who thought my signing was pointless.
“Now I have a tremendously good relationship with the environment, developed day by day. I feel their warmth when I walk the street, and also in the warm-ups before the game.
“There's great respect and a wonderful relationship, not just with the supporters. It's an environment that made me feel important, and the project is ambitious. This made me choose to stay.
“The Toro are the only team that I actually renewed a contract with. Draw your own conclusions.
“It was an important life choice. 2015 was my most significant year since coming to Italy. Now I'm in love with this club and I want to make history here.
“I'll stay with the Granata for as long as I can give it my all and be a model. I look at [Verona's 38-year-old Luca] Toni and I think, 'you never know', I might continue. Just as long as my head is clear.”
Lopez then discussed his team's seasonal goals.
“We still need to grow. We must work until we can compete with the teams that are fighting for European qualification. That must be our stable placement and our objective.
“Sometimes I get a bit more lax, for instance over the summer. Right now I'm at 70 per cent physically but in the second half of the season I tend to behave better.
“You'll see. I always obtained everything by means of hard work and sweat. And I never give up.”