Last season’s top scorer re-signed for City days apart from Cahill’s decision to join the club, sparking a discussion about how the two stars would fit into the same line-up.
However, Fornaroli doesn’t see it that way, believing there’s room for both of them at the point of what might be the A-League’s most potent attack this season.
“Tim is a big player, an incredible player and I’m happy that he plays with us this season and I want to play with him. The coach [John van’t Schip] is the boss, but of course, we can play together,” he said. “He’s not only a great player but also a great person and I’m very happy he’s here. It’s also very good for the dressing room.”
The 28-year old said he believed City was perfectly placed to claim their maiden championship, adding if he didn’t think it were possible, he would have left at the end of last season.
“If I didn’t feel this, I’d take my bike and go home. This is the feeling for me,” he said. “When I play for one club, the feeling is that I want to win every time.
“And when you have the big players like Tim, Neil [Kilkenny], [Anthony] Caceres - too many players [to mention] - you need to win and I want this. I want the league and I want to win something for this club.”
There was considerable speculaiton that Fornaroli would leave the club for a big-money deal in Asia or Europe but in the end, the Uruguayan decided to stay put. He’s now in no doubt that he made the right decision.
“Yes, of course. Now I’m relaxed and after you sign, it fixes everything,” he said. “I feel better, I’m happy of course and I like this. I want to stay close to the fans and, with these fans, we will win the league.
“I like the pressure, of course. I think when you feel something inside, you want to fight for this. But I think Tim can take some of the pressure, so it’s better for me.”
Fornaroli is reluctant to say whether he can top last season’s goal tally of 23 goals but he doesn’t care what his final number is, so long as City emerge on top.
“I will try. I never say I want to score a certain amount or promise to score 10 or 15 or 20 goals,” he said. “I only promise that I will work hard for the team and I say when I came here, I wanted to win the league, so I put this in my mind. It doesn’t matter how many I score. Maybe I’ll score 10 and we will win the league, but I’ll be very happy.”
Asked how the club would recover from the loss of Aaron Mooy, who set up so many of Fornaroli’s goals last season, the striker said he believed the club had now amassed enough depth to cover his absence.
“Aaron is a great player and he is again proving this in England [with Huddersfield Town], where he is playing very good as well,” he said. “But in has come some good players, so we’re starting to create a good team. We will try not to miss Aaron but he is such a good, good player.”
Fornaroli was one of the big hits at the club’s fan day on Saturday, drawing roars of approval as he posed with Cahill on the steps of a tram to unveil the club’s new away kit.
“It’s great to see this, all the fans and there was so many people,” he said. “I’m happy for this because we need the fans to be close. I think it’s not only great for us but for the kids to be close to the players.”
