Roma goalkeeper Mile Svilar gave a lengthy interview to La Repubblica in which he discussed his eventful summer which saw him sign a highly anticipated contract extension with the club.
“Did I ever give up? No, never. I worked hard on my physique and on aspects that someone who plays every three days can’t address. I knew my chance would come.”
“When I arrived, I didn’t expect to play. I knew I’d be second. But reliving a situation like that, even with clear hierarchies, was tough.”
“After his San Siro debut under Mourinho, De Rossi put Rui Patricio back in the starting lineup for the first match. But a few hours before the match, he called me. We were on the phone for five minutes: ‘I’m putting Rui in because he’s more experienced, but your time will come soon.’ In these cases, you never expect it to happen straight away, but he kept his word.”
“No coach ever explained to me why I hadn’t played before. Not even Mourinho. Maybe the goalkeeping coach, but never the manager. Then Daniele arrived and everything changed.”
“The best goalkeeper in Serie A title? I don’t like to think about it. A label like that can make you lose focus. I don’t like it, even when I hear about percentages and statistics.”
“Gasperini’s number one priority? Maximum concentration. He’s quite… I wouldn’t say clever, but he knows how to manage the game. If we’re winning, he raises the level of attention. Always.”
“He cares more about training than anyone I’ve had so far. Then the tactical part… he reads the game like few others.”
“Did I ever think of leaving Roma? There are difficult moments in negotiations. Moments when you say something you don’t mean, on both sides. But no, I never thought about leaving Roma.”
“The fans are spectacular. When people love you, it gives you extra motivation.”
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