DANNY DOES IT Ex-SJU, Knights star Dragoi signs with A.S. Varese 1910 in Italy's Serie C
By Dylan Butler
BigAppleSoccer.com Associate Editor
Exactly one month into his trial, former St. John's and Brooklyn Knights standout Danny Dragoi has signed a contract to play for A.S. Varese 1910 of Italy's C-2. And the midfielder has already started feeling like a professional.
"I was on the bus and this old guy was reading the paper and recognized me and said, 'Oh my God, its you, the American guy,'" Dragoi said in a phone interview. "He recognized me. I couldn't believe it."
Dragoi, who has a Romanian passport, better get used to it.
"Here they talk about soccer 24/7," Dragoi said. "If you lose a game, the whole week is going to be crappy for you and for them because they are going to keep asking you why didn't you do this, or why didn't you do that? If you win a game, then the whole week is a relaxing week. Here it's all about results."
Dragoi, whose tryout was brokered by Brooklyn Knights coach Joe Balsamo and Lodovico Costacurta, a youth coach at A.C. Milan, signed a one-year deal Thursday.
"We want you here," is what Dragoi said A.S. Varese 1910 general director Luca Sean Sogliano told him. "We're not going to send you anywhere else because I see that you're very talented, you work hard, maybe harder than the rest of the team, but if I sign you, you have to promise me that you always maintain that level."
And Dragoi said that was his mentality from the time he arrived in the northern Italian town, which is located close to the Switzerland border.
"They liked me from Day One, they told me, because I gave 110 percent and every day after that I've done the same," he said. "I never dropped my level a bit. I always wanted to be the first in every run we did, I always wanted to be the one that tackled the hardest, that wins every header, that makes the best decisions on the field."
In his first scrimmage, Dragoi also played three different positions -- excelling on the left side of midfield, center midfield and left back.
"Is there something you can't do on the field?" he was asked after the game. "Do you want to be in goal?"
Dragoi, who had three goals and two assists for the Knights, including the penalty-kick winner in a 1-0 victory over Cape Cod in the Premier Development League Eastern Conference final, played two seasons at St. John's after transferring from Schoolcraft College in Michigan.
"Being in New York is how I got to meet Joe (Balsamo) and playing at St. John's is how I got fitter and fitter and that's how I improved my game," Dragoi said. "Playing with the Brooklyn Knights is where I played my best because I was playing the game I was used to playing, I started doing the little details (St. John's coach Dave)Masur was always talking about, like winning headers and tackling hard."
It's those attributes that helped him realize his dream of becoming a professional soccer player.
"It feels good to be treated as a professional," Dragoi said. "My work has finally paid off. That's what I always wanted to be and finally I'm here and doing it. It's great."
Even though he's been there for a month, Dragoi said he's still getting used to the soccer-crazed culture in Italy.
"There's 100 people at practice every day, they sit down with you at the cafe and have coffee with you, talking about soccer," Dragoi said. "All they do is talk about soccer, soccer, soccer. It's their life."
And now it's Dragoi's life and only worry in Italy, since his housing and meals have been taken care of by the club.
"They tell us every day -- this is your job," Dragoi said. "You don't have to work in a factory for eight hours and make a small paycheck. Instead, you go to practice and give 110 percent for two hours and then you go home, you rest and do all these things a soccer player is supposed to do."
And that also means Dragoi's days of going to the gym are numbered.
"Here they don't like if you go to the gym before or after practice because they said that the legs are the only part of your body you should worry about." he said. "They're very strict about these things."
With the majority of their players under the age of 25, A.C. Varese 1910 is very much a feeder club to some of the country's biggest teams, like A.C. Milan and Inter Milan, about 35 minutes from Varese.
In fact, scouts and agents from Serie A and Serie B clubs are regularly at A.C. Varese 1910 practices and games. That includes the agent for Brazilian great Kaka, who attended a recent scrimmage.
"Every game there are so many agents and so many people that deal with transfers and stuff like that," Dragoi said. "They all take notes."
So when will Dragoi make his professional debut? His paperwork won't be filed in time for Sunday's game against Valenzana, but he could be eligible to play Dec. 9 against Pizzighettone.
"They told me, it's totally up to me," Dragoi said. "They gave me a chance and now I have to prove it on the field. I can't expect to play the first game. If I play five minutes, I'll be very, very happy."
