Zaniolo on his departure from Roma: “It was painful.”

A few days prior to his return to the Olimpico with Udinese, Nicolò Zaniolo gave an interview to Messaggero Veneto, in which he recounted the most significant moments of his experience with Roma.

“The Conference League final? It was incredible. We were really excited about the game the day before, Roma hadn’t won a title in years. That match was the culmination of an entire season. It was one of the best days of my life.”

“All things have a beginning and an end. Leaving Roma was a very painful blow for me; it didn’t end well, but I hope that with time, everything will smooth out. My partner is from Rome, and my son was born there.”

“I’ve made mistakes and I’ve acknowledged them. They’re stages of life. At 18, I went from Inter’s Primavera to a top Italian club, I scored a Champions League brace, and it wasn’t easy to keep my head on my shoulders.”

When asked about last year’s infamous celebration after scoring vs Roma while playing for Atalanta, Zaniolo said, “I’ll start by saying I wouldn’t do that celebration again. I made a mistake. I don’t know how Roma fans will welcome me. I imagine many were offended by my behavior, but I understand. I’ll focus on the match, especially because it’s not Zaniolo who’s playing against Roma, but Udinese. We want to get the three points.”