CHICAGO FIRE MEDIA CONFERENCE

June 19, 2024

Allan Arigoni

Press Conference

Q. Just from your perspective, just the team's been playing really well these last few weeks. What has been changing, and what do you see within the guys in the locker room that's creating four games without a loss?

ALLAN ARIGONI: Yeah, I think we know that at the beginning of the season that we were a new team, and that we had to take time to know each other. I think now we realize that we are a good team and we know each other much better, and even what we do in training, the plan that we have is going good during the games.

I think the thing is that we know each other much better than at the beginning.

Q. We saw you get your goal obviously in the last game. Was does that do for your confidence knowing that you've finally put the ball in the back of the net for the Fire?

ALLAN ARIGONI: Yeah, first of all, I'm a defender, so I have to defend the goal. But if I also can participate to the offensive phase is also a good thing. I try to participate a lot to the offensive part, and yeah, finally I could score. But I think I had already a lot of confidence before. The thing is, only the goal or the assist was missing. But I was sure one day or another, it will come. So I'm happy about that. I'm happy that -- also, I'm happy about the team, the way we played. Because we didn't stop to play even when we were in front 2-1, 3-1. So yeah, I'm happy about my goal and about the team performance.

Q. How do you feel the team's change in formation, change in tactics over these last few games has benefitted you? Obviously we saw you playing pretty high up the field, pressing a lot in this last game. How do you think the switch to this new formation, newer tactics has benefitted you and has fit your game?

ALLAN ARIGONI: Like to be honest, I don't know, in every formation, I try to give my best. The thing is that I think we realize as a team that we have to put much more effort and we have to help each other much more. Even I don't know if someone make a mistake, but don't stop the play. We like to run for each other and put more effort into the game. I think we realize that and we are doing that. So the team performance is improving.

And yeah, as I said, I always try to give my best and go a hundred percent in every play. Yeah, I'm happy that the team now is coming out from this bad start.

Q. I've got to ask, given what's going on, how closely have you been following Switzerland at the Euros and how big are the European Championships?

ALLAN ARIGONI: Yeah, everyone is following the Euro, and of course, me, too, and particularly Switzerland. I'm very happy that they won the first game, and we will see now the second game how it goes. But I think the chances are big that they can go further in this competition.

Q. We just spoke to Frank, and something he pointed out was that you had played a full season in Switzerland before coming to Chicago and now have a full season and talked a little bit about the need to maybe give you guys some rest with the fatigue. Something else he mentioned was the heat. We hear from a lot of players that are new to MLS about the difficulties of the temperatures in some environments, the travel. How have you been adapting to MLS so far, and has anything surprised you?

ALLAN ARIGONI: Yeah, as you said, it's true, when I came here, I played already six months with Lugano. So I came here and I had maybe two weeks off, but it wasn't enough.

So I came, and we started the championship, the season straightaway. I'm not saying that I'm struggling right now but I'm feeling that I played a lot of games this season. Now, to now, this moment, I think is 41, 42 games. So I'm trying to schedule my week in another way, maybe working with the staff and doing some exercises a little bit less because after these more than 40 games, my body is feeling that.

So yes, and about the heat, I think everyone knows that it's not the best to play when it's like 35, 40 degrees Celsius. But I think the most important thing is to deal with that, even in training, because even in training, it's hot. And try to drink a lot and then do all the things that that we spoke with our nutritionalist.

Q. You lined up next to Arnaud last weekend. Curious how you thought that went, seeing another right back playing center back, something you've had to do before. Curious how you thought that went. I know him and Hugo have a nice little relationship. I'm curious how you've been working with him, especially as he's been in and out of the lineup?

ALLAN ARIGONI: I think we understand each other very good. Even because I speak also French, so we speak a lot together, and we get along very good. So I'm feeling good to play with him by my side, and it was the coach's decision to put him as a third center back and me outside.

But I think we are both like mentally ready to play in whatever position the coach tells us to play. Understanding with him is very good. So yes, I think even the thing, not even with him, but I understand, like I'm doing good with everyone in the team. So I think this link let us grow a lot as a team. Yeah, I'm feeling good. We have to try to continue in this way, and I think we can do -- we can bring a lot of good results to the end of the season.

Q. After you scored that goal, who was the first person in your life that you heard from, and how excited were they?

ALLAN ARIGONI: Yeah, I heard from my mother because she tried to watch every game, even if in Europe it's like 2:00 A.M. I think in the morning.

But yeah, I called my mother and we spoke a little bit. Yeah, she was very excited and happy about it.