Tommaso Baldanzi on Roma’s objectives in season finale | OneFootball

Roma midfielder Tommaso Baldanzi spoke at length to Il Tempo ahead of the upcoming match against Juventus.

“We have made a good turn in the league where we had started badly,” said Baldanzi of Roma’s recent form.

“We are very happy also because we wanted to do well from the beginning and now we have reversed the trend.”

“Sunday will be a difficult match and other challenging ones will follow but we want to do well to continue to bring home many points from now until the end.”

“The Derby della Capitale? The derby is a game in itself, both for us and for the fans. That’s why we care so much about it. Now we don’t think about it because there’s Juve which will be difficult but the derby will be no less and we want to win it.”

“Dybala? Paulo is very present even now that he got hurt, we see him every day at Trigoria on the pitch and this makes us happy. He shows us every day how much he cares about the team.”

“He is a figure that we miss a lot, an irreplaceable champion. We all know that we have to give something more to make sure we don’t miss him. For me it was an honor to come here and find myself in front of a champion like him, who together with other great players have already taught me a lot both as a person and as a footballer.”

“I don’t feel like Dybala’s replacement, I feel like Baldanzi and I try to improve myself every day. Before he got hurt we played a few games together and I got along very well with him. Now that he’s not here we have to try not to make people miss him. I feel ready, but we all have to do more.”

“Moving to Roma in January 2024? The first few months were definitely useful, but it wasn’t a difficult period. I felt comfortable straight away, but unconsciously, playing for a big club changes a lot on a mental level.”

“Coming here is an honor and you have to push hard every game. The first few months of settling in were useful, even though I think I did good things.”

“I returned to training last summer with more confidence and more desire to do well and I think I’ve shown that. I can score more goals and more assists but I’m performing well and I’m happy.”

“Returning to the Champions League is our mission. We believe in it so much because of how we got there. We had few points and we were very far away but now we are right there.”

“We didn’t set ourselves a goal with the coach, there are eight games left and he told us “I don’t want you to go on vacation with regrets, try to do your best every game”. If we can give the best of ourselves we have a chance. We have to think game by game and try to win as many as possible.”

“De Rossi’s sacking? I was very sorry, he gave me a lot as a coach and above all he gave me the opportunity to play for Roma. He wanted me here last year and I arrived thanks to him, for this I will always thank him.”

“Juric? I think the coach came and tried to do his best, it was certainly not just his fault but a combination of things including our performances. I had a good time and I still have to thank him for trying to get the most out of the team by putting everything he had.”

“As Gianluca (Mancini, ed.) said, Ranieri managed to touch the right chords on a mental level. I honestly don’t know which ones, but he gave us that tranquility and that desire to win that helped us bring the team back to where it deserved to be.”

“It was “devastating” in terms of psychological impact for us, then certainly also on a tactical level he had some merit. With him I feel improved but I must say that every coach has helped me grow even if I think that Zanetti in my first year in Serie A and De Rossi really gave me a lot.”

“Mister Ranieri gave me a big hand because initially when he arrived I didn’t play much. Then I worked hard in training and I managed to get to playing more.”

“I never thought about leaving because when I arrived I knew I wanted to stay here as long as possible, but when you go through periods when you don’t play you think about the love you have for this sport and the desire to get on the pitch.”

“I was pretty bad but I think these are periods that are part of football and that help you when things are going well to understand how important it is to play, especially for a boy my age.”

“Dovbyk? I think he is a great player. My idea is that he is very strong and even when he scores he is not happy because he would like to score more, he has an incredible mentality. I hope he continues like this because for us he is fundamental.”

“Ranieri’s future? Ranieri has been clear with you and us about his desire to finish his career this year. Then, of course, the coach will discuss it with the club. I don’t know if the captains have asked him directly to stay, but I think the whole team, including me, would be very happy for him to stay with us, but the decision is his.”

“Last year I went through an initial phase of settling in and this year I have improved a lot. I feel great both in Rome and in the team, I feel good with my teammates and in general in Trigoria. I feel like I am where I wanted and where I dreamed of being. I feel really good.”