Former Roma goal-keeper Pau Lopez – who joined Olympique de Marseille on a permanent deal earlier in January after spending two years in the Italian capital – spoke to L’Equipe about the difficulties he encountered in Rome and the important decision to move to Marseille.
“It’s not because of the pressure that I failed to give my best in Rome. The problem over there was that I had lost the joy of training every day, the pleasure of playing football.”
“Marseille came at the right time. The atmosphere, the locker room, the way of playing, I don’t know why but from the beginning here I found the enthusiasm I had lost.”
“From the first day I was enchanted, I was enjoying every moment, and so I didn’t think about the rest. Above all I thought it was a great opportunity for me, I was happy to come and train every morning.”
“I had completely lost the pleasure of playing at Roma. Here, for example, I arrive shortly before training, I stay late, we joke among ourselves, we discuss things.”
“Over there in Italy I was only happy when I left the training center and went home to my family.”
“Roma was a great challenge, it is a club that can play for Europe every year. But when you are not happy, you are not happy. After these two years in Rome where I was not at the highest level, I had to regain my enthusiasm elsewhere.”
