Alberto Aquilani reveals he’ll be cheering on Roma against Liverpool, and feels they’re “superior in terms of organisation”.
The Giallorossi are in England ahead of tomorrow’s Champions League semi-final first leg, and Gazzetta dello Sport spoke to a man who played for both teams, asking if he feels torn.
“No, you know I’ll be cheering for Roma,” Aquilani said.
Alberto Aquilani reveals he’ll be cheering on Roma against Liverpool, and feels they’re “superior in terms of organisation”.
The Giallorossi are in England ahead of tomorrow’s Champions League semi-final first leg, and Gazzetta dello Sport spoke to a man who played for both teams, asking if he feels torn.
“No, you know I’ll be cheering for Roma,” Aquilani said.
“Look out though, [Jurgen] Klopp is good at taking care of the defensive phase, even if their real strength is in attack. They’re fast and powerful.
“That said, I think it’s a good draw for Roma, it would have been worse with Bayern Munich or Real Madrid.
“This is a train that the Giallorossi can’t let go past, they can’t get it wrong. [Coach Eusebio] Di Francesco’s side are superior in terms of organisation.
“I know him as a Coach because I had him at Sassuolo, he prepares matches in a manic way.
“I was surprised by the change of formation against Barcelona, in the past he found it more difficult to change.
“You’ll see though that when things have been put right he’ll go back to 4-3-3, even if they did something extraordinary with Barcelona.
“The Catalans are an extraordinary team and [Lionel] Messi plays another sport compared to other players.”
Aquilani also discussed his transfer to Liverpool, having come up through the Giallorossi youth system.
“Of course I thought I’d never leave, like [Francesco] Totti and [Daniele] De Rossi. Before Liverpool even bigger clubs had wanted me and had always been rejected.
“At that time though they needed to sell me and I realised my time was over.
“I was 24 and I had an ankle injury which kept me out for about 12 weeks. I remember that [Rafa] Benitez always protected me though, and in the end it was a good season.
“It’s a shame about the elimination in the Europa League semi-finals, I scored but then they scored in the last minute and tore our dreams apart.
“In hindsight I shouldn’t have left, it’s true that Benitez and sporting director [Eduardo] Macia weren’t there anymore, but I’d still have been better off staying.
“Steven Gerrard and Totti? They’re two legends, and also both a little bit introverted. Francesco is also a friend to me.
“He showed his leadership more on the pitch thanks to his incredible technique, Gerrard was more of a dressing room man, but for a midfielder like me he was a reference point in the role.
“The Curva Sud or the Kop? I think the Sud isn’t like it was a few years ago, but if it were right on the pitch like the Kop I think it would be even better.
“‘Roma, Roma, Roma’ or ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’? That’s a beautiful battle. I’m a romantic, and the Giallorossi anthem still moves me.
“I can assure you though, that when you walk out at Anfield and you hear that music you get chills.”