Rome attacker Patrik Schick spoke today about his first season in the capital to sport.cz. These are his words:
How do you rate your first season in Rome?
My departure was not planned, but when I did leave, I immediately got injured. However, once I was able to train for a long period and feel better physically, my performances improved. Towards the end of the season I felt really good. I’m sure I can play even better, though. As I continue to train, I realise that I can do things even better. I have 3 weeks of holiday upcoming, but I will only rest for a week. I will start training on my own because I want to be ready for next season.
How is it to compete with the likes of Perotti, Dzeko, Nainggolan and El Shaarawy and all the other stars?
I learn something every day, I train with the best. I get to see how they work and they are all strong. There is a huge difference in training at Roma compared to what I did in Genova with Sampdoria. Especially in regards to the tactics. We play eight against eight and it’s like a normal league match. Everyone moves quickly.
What will you remember from your first season in Rome?
Certainly the Champions League match against Barcelona. We eliminated them. It was my first match in the competition and the greatest emotion of my career.
Will understanding the environment and being more adapted to it be an advantage for you in this new season?
When I arrived at Sampdoria, I made a huge leap. When I left Bohemians for Italy, I did not know the language and I did not understand the tactical instructions, I wasn’t at my best. Only when I started scoring goals and showing my qualities did the situation change, even though it took time.
Did you rely on the experience at Samp when you moved to Roma? Did you have confidence?
I did not come to Roma as an inexperienced player. I had already built a certain respect around myself. So it was an easier jump than the previous one, but it was still a big leap. All the players around me are very confident, they play with an incredible amount of self-esteem, they have the courage to do anything on the pitch. They have no doubts.
