Leonardo Spinazzola opened up about his recent achilles tendon rupture and confirmed he decided not to join up with the Italian national team.
The 29-year-old Roma full back was one of the stars of the show at Euro 2020 last summer, being a driving force for Italy on the left side on the pitch. Things came to a crashing halt in the quarter-final win over Belgium, when he fell to the floor in the 79th minute after rupturing his achilles tendon. After almost a year on the sidelines, Spinazzola returned to action for Roma this season.
Speaking on the Roma Podcast, Spinazzola first reflected on the Giallorossi’s Europa Conference League victory last season.
“On the night of the final, after we won we said: ‘we don’t realise what we have done. We will only know when we return to Rome the following day’.
“That day was a liberation for me after an incredible year. It represented the closing of the circle.”
The 29-year-old noted that it was his decision not to join up with the Italian national team for this international break.
“It was my request. The coach has given me this week to work and get myself fit. I’ll do some specific work that I’ve been missing since July, in fact I haven’t done anything for the calf and the whole chain.
“I asked him for this courtesy and he understood.”
He reflected on his time with Juventus.
“I lacked consistency at Juve, but also because – and everyone forgets it, even now – I came from an ACL problem. And now from a tendon injury. But everyone forgets, they don’t forget about many but they often forget about me, that I have to come back sooner.
“All right, don’t worry. There was also a lot going on behind, but I knew that coming here and trying to play minutes in a big place with great pressure I could grow even more. And that’s how it was.”
Finally, Spinazzola discussed his current condition and how he feels after his achilles tendon rupture last year.
“This injury is one of the worst for a footballer and especially for someone with my characteristics. I lack support when I go fast, I have to go on my forefoot.
“However, I’m trying to recover as much as possible.”