Leonardo Balerdi gave an interview to Il Tempo in which he discussed his first weeks in Rome.
The Argentine defender is delighted with his move to the capital: “I said right away that I’m delighted. I wanted a change of scenery after spending so many years in Marseille. I’ve wanted to play in Serie A since I was little, and now I’m more than happy here at Roma. The team is going great. I feel like I’ve been here for at least three months; I’ve been welcomed very well by everyone, obviously including the other Argentines.”
The former Marseille player spoke about his relationship with Gasperini: “I get along well with his instructions; I feel like I’m improving physically day by day. His coaching style is an advantage for me because I feel strong during matches. He comes to the pitch and does what he has to do. We haven’t talked much about other things, but he’s always been top-notch with me.”
The 1999-born player revealed who his idols are: “I didn’t want to be a defender, but a midfielder. Gago was one of my idols, and I also liked Riquelme and Palermo from Boca. When I realized I’d become a defender, I started watching the greats like Maldini, Ramos, and Van Dijk. Also Baresi, of course.”
Leonardo Balerdi explained which position he can best express himself in: “I don’t have any particular preferences. I feel that, given my characteristics, I can play better in the center. I’m also good on the flank, but I’m different from Mancini, for example, who pushes forward a lot. I like playing open play, as we saw in Turin. It happened in Marseille too, I’m used to it.”
The former Marseille captain on possible improvements thanks to Gasperini’s work: “Quite a lot. I think I still have room for improvement, especially physically, and I need to better understand the defensive movements. Especially the work Mancini and Hermoso do, who attack a lot. But I also want to grow mentally; there’s always room for improvement, in my opinion. I don’t set limits.”
The 1999-born player on the match against Inter: “Inter have had an extraordinary run in recent years, we can’t ignore that. But we have to prepare for this match like all the others. We have to win regardless of who we’re facing. Of course, knowing their qualities means we’ll have to adapt, but always give 100 percent. This is a match that could give us the decisive boost for the rest of the season. We just have to focus on giving our all.”
Leonardo Balerdi explained how the idea of moving to Roma came about: “In the early days of the summer transfer window, my agent came to Trigoria to talk to Roma. I was already hoping to join them there. Then, towards the end, I lost faith because we hadn’t spoken to Roma again, but I realized it was time to start a new experience. When they told me about Roma, I was happy: there were other teams, but at that point, I said that if I didn’t come here, I’d stay in Marseille.”
The Argentine defender revealed that Roma also tried to sign him last season: “Yes, but nothing came of it. This year, however, I knew it would be the right year to go.”
The former Marseille captain is fascinated by the Roma jersey: “I’ve said it before. I was crazy about the shirt, the colors. When I had Strootman as a teammate, I begged him to give me the Roma jersey, which I still have at home. It’s always been one of my favorites. It was destiny that sooner or later I’d have to wear it.”
Balerdi on the rivalry with Lazio and not mentioning it in his first official interview: “That expression [I’ve already played at the Olimpico against the other team, ed.] came naturally to me. I understand the fans’ passion, coming from Argentina. When I talk about Boca, River is always the other team. In my first interview as a Roma fan, I didn’t want to mention the name of the other team in the city, so that phrase came out.”
The 1999-born player aims to stay in Rome after leaving Marseille at the perfect time: “Absolutely. I’ve had so many ups and downs, and I thought it was time for a change.”
Leonardo Balerdi was particularly impressed by three players: “Yes, I see the strength of the group. For example, Manu Koné is someone who has surprised me physically; he’s a beast. I really like him as a player. Malen, too, scored a lot of goals right from his arrival and continues to do so. Luckily, I often don’t have to mark him in training. But I can name many, like Svilar. Perhaps these three, Dybala aside, have particularly impressed me.”
The defender on the importance of having a strong Argentine squad at Roma: “They started writing to me when I was close to moving and told me to come, we’re happy here. I think it’s important to have so many of them. If I think about Dybala or Molina, for example, they’ve won a lot, and I think having them in the team is important. Soulé, Castro, and I, even if we have the same mentality, have to follow them. There must be a reason why they’ve won.” The former Marseille captain on the atmosphere at the Olimpico: “Playing at home when you can hear the crowd, it feels like having an extra player on the pitch.”
The 1999-born player closed with an eye on the future: “First of all, I want to do everything I can to stay here for a long time. Personally, both for the national team and for Roma, I want to win a trophy. As others have said, the goal is certainly to do better than last year; that would be incredible. I repeat, I always want to give 100%; I think if I can do that, I and everyone else can get some satisfaction.”
