Former Roma midfielder and UEFA director Zbigniew Boniek was heavily critical of Nicolo Zaniolo’s decision to leave Roma and the attitude displayed despite Jose Mourinho’s belief in him.
In an interview with Corriere dello Sport, Boniek indicated Zaniolo’s entourage as the main culprits of the situation. “The people he’s surrounded himself with are not making the right decisions for him. It’s a real shame because Zaniolo has great qualities and showed this despite suffering two major injuries over the last few years.”
“He must improve in his attitude, his way of thinking and his way of doing things. And he can do it, even at Roma: Mourinho himself said that if Zaniolo ends up staying he will still be welcome to work with the team.”
“But, if he’s made up his mind and decided not to play for Roma anymore it’s better that he remains out. The problem, however, stays the same: if Zaniolo doesn’t work on his personality and attitude, he will create problems anywhere he goes. The important thing is to avoid creating unnecessary tension in the dressing room because Roma got off to a great start this year.”