Alessio Romagnoli explains why he left Roma for Milan and carrying “the weight” of a €25m price-tag at the age of 20.
The centre-back was born and raised in the Giallorossi camp, but made the move to San Siro after a loan spell under Sinisa Mihajlovic at Sampdoria.
“Arriving at Milan aged 20 with this price-tag is a big weight to carry, but I am settling in well and managing to give my best,” he told Milan Channel.
Alessio Romagnoli explains why he left Roma for Milan and carrying “the weight” of a €25m price-tag at the age of 20.
The centre-back was born and raised in the Giallorossi camp, but made the move to San Siro after a loan spell under Sinisa Mihajlovic at Sampdoria.
“Arriving at Milan aged 20 with this price-tag is a big weight to carry, but I am settling in well and managing to give my best,” he told Milan Channel.
“Comparisons with Alessandro Nesta make me very proud and happy. It’s difficult to match what he achieved in his career.
“I used to be a midfielder when I was young, so Zinedine Zidane was my hero, then after I arrived at Roma it was Nesta.
“I left Roma because I never felt part of the project there, as I was always going to start from the bench. When a side like Milan calls, you can’t say no.
“At the start it was tough, because the squad was changed so much over the summer, so naturally it took a while for us to find our rhythm. Working every day consistently in training has started to bring results.
“Mihajlovic asks us to give our all every day so we can emerge from this difficult moment that Milan have gone through over the last two years.
“Rossoneri fans should be optimistic, because we are a strong team and give our all. At Milan you can feel the history of the club that has won everything. When you arrive at a club like this, you have to fight to earn your place.”
Romagnoli has also been tipped to make the jump up to senior level for Italy, but in the meantime is shining for the Under-21 side.
“The Nazionale is a dream for every player. This next year is important, as there’s Euro 2016, but I have not even made my senior Italy debut, so I sincerely doubt I’ll be called up. There is a small hope.”