Roma attacker Stephan El Shaarawy spoke to UEFA.com today ahead of this week’s clash against Barcelona. These are his words:
Let’s discuss your arrival at Roma.
I started doing my talking on the pitch as soon as I arrived. This was the most important thing because when I arrived in Rome, I had not been doing well for six months at Monaco and I tried to change the situation very quickly, scoring some goals and providing good performances. Now I’m back to my best both physically and psychologically. Rome is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. I had positive feelings of being part of the team from the beginning, especially because I already knew some of them. I was able to easily integrate myself with all the guys who work at Trigoria.
Now there’s Barcelona.
We know it will be very difficult to play against Barcelona at the Camp Nou, but we have nothing to lose. We must try to play our game, work hard and capitalise on every opportunity we have. We must keep in mind the tie is 180 minutes long. We should try to get a good result, reminding ourselves that we have the return leg at home.
Can Rome stop Messi?
He’s the best in the world. Something can happen every time he has the ball at his feet. This is why we will have to try and limit his influence on the match as much as possible.
