Roma attacker Stephan El Shaarawy revisted some of the key chapters in his career in a recent interview with 90min. Among other things, the Italian winger spoke about joining Roma in January 2016 and the impact of Totti and De Rossi as well as last season’s Conference League victory.
“Roma to represented a kind of rebirth. I was coming off a difficult period in my career, especially after my experience at Monaco,” said El Shaarawy.
“Roma welcomed me like a big family. I scored on my debut and was showered with so much affection. It was incredible. I felt the lack of it even more when I left the club in 2019.”
“Totti? He’s the only player who left me star-struck. But to know him, he’s very modest, very approachable. He’s a legend. When you think of Roma you think of Totti.”
“De Rossi, on the other hand, was a leader, a conductor, a gladiator. Him and Francesco are huge players. Symbols of Rome. Daniele was always a point of reference for me. He would always lead the team, always said the right things at the right time. He knew how to motivate you.”
“Francesco was more of a silent leader. He would lead the team with his football.”
“Pellegrini? He’s like a kid who was destined to do what he does now. He came from Sassuolo and was given the armband which is a kind of pressure that is very difficult to handle. He learned to rise to the opportunity and meet expectations. I think he deserves all of it.”
“The Conference Lague win? There was an unbelievable atmosphere in Tirana. Something we’d never seen before here, the awareness that we could win after all. The supporters deserved it, they were always there for us, even in the tough moments, it was the right gift for them. The day after we won, when we celebrated with the people on the streets of Rome was the most beautiful day of my career.”
