Gianluca Mancini says he is proud to play for ‘magical’ Roma, new boss Paulo Fonseca has made a ‘very good’ impression and he is ready to fight ‘sharks’.
Mancini recently joined Roma to replace Kostas Manolas, choosing the capital club despite helping Atalanta achieve qualification for the Champions League.
“When my agent told me about the offer, I immediately said to him without any hesitation that I wanted to come,” the defender told the Giallorossi’s official website.
Gianluca Mancini says he is proud to play for ‘magical’ Roma, new boss Paulo Fonseca has made a ‘very good’ impression and he is ready to fight ‘sharks’.
Mancini recently joined Roma to replace Kostas Manolas, choosing the capital club despite helping Atalanta achieve qualification for the Champions League.
“When my agent told me about the offer, I immediately said to him without any hesitation that I wanted to come,” the defender told the Giallorossi’s official website.
“So many top players have played for this club and it’s an honour to be part of it. I’ve always liked the club and there’s a magical feeling to the city itself.
“The fans are fantastic and I’m proud to be playing my football here. Fonseca’s made a very good impression. He’s sure of himself and his ideas.
“He’s very direct and tells you openly if you’re doing well or badly. It’s just the start, but he’s certainly made a good impression on me straight away.
“He talks to us a lot as a squad and individually, which is the way it should be. I must say I couldn’t believe how intense training was over the first few days. That’s how you need to train to be in top shape for the start of the league campaign.
“It almost feels like I haven’t changed clubs. My teammates are excellent and have welcomed me with open arms. I already knew many of the Italian players.
“I’ve been watching Aleksandar Kolarov play since I was little. He always impressed me when I used to watch him on television and he’s even more impressive in the flesh because of his character type. He always knows the right thing to say at the right time.”
The 23-year-old then revealed the best advice he had been given and gave a message to supporters.
“My dad has always told me to give absolutely everything in training. ‘Keep your head down and work hard,’ and I’ve always listened to him.
“You can’t take your foot off the gas after a good performance because football is full of sharks.
“The fans always see total commitment from me in this shirt. I’m proud to be here and we must try to create something new in order to achieve our big targets.
“We have a young squad that is just starting out, but we’ll be fully committed in training and in matches.”