Radja Nainggolan confirms he joined Inter in part because “there’s a Coach here who really wanted me”, but was initially “bitter” about how he left Roma.
The Belgian had arguably his best season under Luciano Spalletti in Rome, and the pair reunited this summer.
“My teammates and the club welcomed me well,” Nainggolan told Undici.
“That matters, because for me it’s not easy to change club. I’ve always been attached to places I’ve been, at Cagliari and Roma I gave and received a lot.
Radja Nainggolan confirms he joined Inter in part because “there’s a Coach here who really wanted me”, but was initially “bitter” about how he left Roma.
The Belgian had arguably his best season under Luciano Spalletti in Rome, and the pair reunited this summer.
“My teammates and the club welcomed me well,” Nainggolan told Undici.
“That matters, because for me it’s not easy to change club. I’ve always been attached to places I’ve been, at Cagliari and Roma I gave and received a lot.
“I’m happy to be here, there’s a Coach who really wanted me and with whom I have an excellent relationship.
“Roma? Since I knew they wanted to sell me, I closed the relationship. I had a period where I was really bitter about my my career at Roma ended.
“My way of playing makes me respect and well-liked, because I always do my best on the pitch. Off the pitch is another story. You need to enjoy yourself, and if you don’t do that when you’re young then when?
“There are players who stay up to 5am with post-match adrenaline, others prefer to go to dinner with their friends after a match. I don’t see a big difference between the two.
“If it was just house-pitch, pitch-house my head wouldn’t work after a while, I need to go out to relax mentally.”
Nainggolan is 30 now, but he’s already sure he won’t stay in football after he retires.
“I certainly won’t have anything to do with the world of football, neither as a Coach or a pundit.
“Especially the latter, it’d be impossible for me. I’m too sincere, I immediately say what I think, with no filter.
“I’d make enemies and they’d drive me out right away.”