“I made my debut in Serie A with Genoa, I have very special memories of this team.” These are the words of Stephan El Shaarawy who gave a long interview with Sport Mediaset two days before the Coppa Italia match against the rossoblùs.
Genoa was the team where you turned professional.
Yes, I made my debut in Serie A and I have a very special memory. We are all ‘fans’ in the family and I did the entire youth sector there. It will be special for me.
Is the Coppa Italia an objective for Roma?
“Absolutely yes, it is a game and a competition that should not be underestimated, such as the Conference League, which, yes, may be inferior to the Champions League and the Europa League, but we have seen how much joy it can offer. You also have to face this very seriously and the desire to get to the bottom.
Have you made the mistake of underestimating this competition in the past?
“No, let’s say that this year the objective should be, as for the Italian Cup and other competitions, to go all the way and face them with great commitment, as we did last year with the Conference.”
Someone says that after the Conference the team is stagnant. Is that so?
“I think maybe we lacked something just in terms of execution, but also the show of how we bounced back on Sunday is the show of how much this team always believes in us right down to the last minute. It is not the first game that ends like this, this is an aspect in our favor. We still have to improve on some things, like nailing down the chances we create. But we are a strong team and above all one that never gives up.”
The comeback at the San Siro. Is it something that they train, is it something particular to each one, to the team?
“I think it is a question of mentality. Coach is good at this. He triggered in us the desire to never give up, to finish first at every ball. It is our point in favor. What we definitely need to improve is in the scoring area. But we are happy that Tammy also made his debut on Sunday, so we hope it will be the turning point for him to continue scoring many goals ».
You have shared Abraham’s state of mind in the past, how do you perceive it?
“I think it could be like last year. It started off slow and then it unlocked and we all saw what it was capable of. Hopefully I can do the same in the second leg, but we also saw it in defense and it was important. The forwards must also be important in that and he saved us at the last moment.”
Is fourth place the Scudetto de la Roma?
“It’s definitely one of our goals. We are there with three points, so we have a duty to try not to give up on the teams above. You always have to think game by game and then see where we will be at the end.
Is the race now at Inter?
“He’s always in fourth, now we’re behind and now the goal is to win as many games as possible. We know we can do it.”
You just turned 30. Do you feel professionally mature?
“I feel so old. Especially in this Rome, my goal is to always do better. The renewal is not something I think about immediately, but my intention is to stay and be able to continue giving a lot to this club.
We have also seen you at full speed. How do you experience this metamorphosis on the pitch?
“It is a role that I am adapting to and that I have never done. Maybe a couple of times with Conte when he was playing for the winger team, but for a year and a half it’s a role I’ve always been playing. I am available and in a large team you also have to know how to adapt. It is part of the maturity of a footballer. It is also logical that at the construction level the numbers are lower than before. These are the coach’s requests and you always have to give your best.”
Do you feel this change?
“My favorite role is winger, but I can play winger. I also did it by marking and I am available ».
How do you see Zaniolo?
“Nicolò still has a lot of room for improvement. He is a central player for us, especially for the national team. He is coming off two years of injuries and he certainly needs to look for that extra lucidity in front of goal, but I hope he can find it again as soon as possible, even in the construction phase. Thus helping the team and the Azzurri, because he can become much stronger. In training he always puts a lot of effort and continuity. There are all the preconditions to get it right.”
How is Mourinho marking you?
“In terms of mentality, he is a great coach and communicator. We talk, he talks to everyone in the same way and for sure he is his greatest strength. His track record speaks for itself. He is a winner, we have to follow him in every way, because he can make us take that extra leap.”
Is there still so much to do together?
“Yes, because we also see it only in the way he prepares his workouts, the intensity, the desire he has to achieve his goals. Just like he did last year in the Conference. This makes us understand how much he cares about Rome and that he does well here. We have never talked about other teams or other selections for him.”
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