Roma executive Tiago Pinto admitted he was shocked by the reaction to his response when asked about the future of Nicolo Zaniolo.
The Portuguese executive was asked during his Tuesday press conference if he could guarantee the young starlet would be at the club beyond the summer. He stated that just like with every player it wasn’t something he could guarantee.
His reply led to a bevy of summer transfer speculation surrounding Zaniolo.
“I can’t hide the fact that I’ve been shocked by all the noise regarding an obvious response,” he told DAZN before Roma kicked-off against Genoa.
“We’re in an era where Leo Messi left Barcelona for PSG: no sporting director can be taken seriously if he says no player will ever leave the club. What Mourinho and I said about Zaniolo is obvious. He has a contract with us until 2024 so there’s no need to discuss the future.”
He continued, “I said three times during the press conference that this wasn’t the time to discuss the summer market or contract renewals. Unfortunately things happened as they did, but I’m also here to learn.”
“I don’t like talking and I don’t like protagonism and I’ve been learning to talk more and collaborate more (with the media). However, I’m forced to re-reflect on this given everything I saw unfold this week.”
“I really didn’t understand how this turned into a controversy. I was happy with what the manager said and I was also pleased that the supporters understood my words were being exploited. This isn’t something I want to discuss further.”
