貝蒂內利：我們的門將團隊很強大、我隨時準備好幫助球隊 - 切爾西足球俱樂部 Chelsea Football Club

https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/2022/01/08/
bettinelli-on-his-non-league-past--learning-new-details-and-bein

Bettinelli on his non-league past, learning new details and being ready if
needed

08 Jan 2022


The goalkeeper reflects on his first months at the club, how he's
developed and what comes next ahead of this evening's FA Cup tie against
Chesterfield...


https://i.imgur.com/aPnpU7Z.jpg


Marcus Bettinelli has spent the first half of this season adjusting and
settling into life at Cobham. The goalkeeper made the switch across
south-west London from Fulham in the summer, filling the gloves of the
departing Willy Caballero as understudy to Edouard Mendy and Kepa
Arrizabalaga.


The role of third goalkeeper is fairly unique in football and Bettinelli
accepted from day one that opportunities for playing time may be limited
at Stamford Bridge. Yet that hasn't dampened his thirst for improvement
and now, with Mendy away at the Africa Cup of Nations, there is a chance
for the Londoner to step up once again.


'It's been great,' he said when reflecting on the start of his Chelsea
career. 'Edou and Kepa are two top-class goalkeepers. I knew that before I
arrived but when you work with them every day, you see the effort and
commitment that they both put in and you realise then just how good they
are.


'We've got a good goalie group with Hilario and James Russell [the
goalkeeping coaches], who are top people to work with. They push you every
day and they've put a lot of time and effort into improving me over the
last five months.


https://i.imgur.com/ConLbGX.jpg
The goalkeepers union celebrate our Super Cup triumph in Belfast


'Of course, I always knew what my role would be but Hilario made it clear
when I signed that he wants me to improve and they've certainly helped me
do that.'


Playing games is often considered the default way to develop through
experience and Bettinelli certainly did that last term, with 41
appearances in the Championship on loan at Middlesbrough. Yet there is
also something to be said from learning alongside the best and he has seen
a different side to the art of goalkeeping during his five months at
Cobham.


'Hilario is unbelievable at cutting clips from training and showing you
where you've improved ever so slightly in goalkeeping terms, stuff that
the outfielders or people watching might not see,' he explained. 'He goes
into real detail; him and James are brilliant at that.


'They work and work on it. It's not a case of if something doesn't work
the first time then we give up and try something else. We work hard and we
stick to our guns. I've learnt a lot.


https://i.imgur.com/dYJJvKt.jpg
Bettinelli trains with the group on the eve of our FA Cup third round tie


'I've approached goalkeeping in a completely different way to what I have
done in the past because of their philosophy so that's been great to try
new things. At the start, I found it very tough because it was completely
different but now I would say I'm very used to it and understand what's
coming.'


Bettinelli, more than most, knows what's coming this evening as well. The
29-year-old spent most of the 2012/13 campaign on loan in tier five of the
English pyramid, cutting his teeth at newly-promoted and forward-thinking
Dartford in his first experience of life in senior football having come
through the ranks at Fulham's academy.


Non-league football has changed significantly over the decade since but he
recalls it being a key moment in his young career and one that has shaped
his journey in the game since.


'It was an important experience for me, probably one of the best moves I
ever made,' he reflects. 'Going on loan, you learn tenfold what you can in
academy football at that age and I learnt the most in those first couple
of years on loan and during that time at Dartford.


'You get to learn the trade and see a different style of football. You
have to come and really fight to claim the ball at corners, scream and
shout. It's a different game and it definitely put me in good stead for my
future career.


'The set-up at Dartford was actually really good. I was expecting to go
there and I'd have to bring my own kit and wash my own stuff but it was
very organised, probably better than when I was in League Two. The team
was part-time so a lot of the boys had jobs during the day and would come
straight from there if we were playing in the evening. It was a great club
for me, a forward-thinking club at the time and the changing room was
great. I'm still friends with some of them now.


'I have a lot of good memories and a lot of “first times”, like my first
clean sheet and first game on TV. I think my mum still has that recorded
on the Sky box somewhere so they were good times.'


Bettinelli's first taste of the FA Cup didn't come until the following
season on loan at Accrington Stanley and he has made nine appearances in
the famous old competition in total, experiencing ties as both unfancied
outsiders and strong favourites.


'It's always special,' he states. 'Any time you get to play in a knockout
game, it's always tough and I've seen both sides of it as a massive
underdog playing against some big teams and also playing for a team that
should beat someone at home.


'The FA Cup always seems to bring a surprise every single year and that's
why people always talk about the magic of the cup. Anything can happen
because it's a special competition with a great history.'


With Mendy away and Kepa facing four other big games over the coming
fortnight, there is a chance that Thomas Tuchel and his goalkeeping staff
may opt to hand Bettinelli his Blues debut this evening. Whether that
comes or not remains to be seen but the man who has quickly become a
popular figure among the squad is ready for whatever role is asked of him.


'Whatever team the gaffer decides to put out, it's not going to be easy,'
he added. 'Chesterfield are going to be right up for it, very excited and
pumped up so we'll need to match that with intensity, not get dragged into
what they're doing and just play our football. Mentality is the main
thing; approaching the game with a winning mentality and an aggression as
we would do any other game.


'Like I said when I joined in the summer, I'm ready for whatever is asked
of me. It would be amazing to get the opportunity to represent this club,
especially in the FA Cup, but I'll be doing my job regardless of
selection.


'Whatever's happened this season, I've always tried to be involved and use
my voice as a weapon and an attribute with the lads in the changing room
so that won't change.'

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When it comes to a crisis, still keep on running.

You believe in power. It's mental power.


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