Roma, Abraham talks about the future: “Going back to Chelsea? Never say never…”

The present is represented by Roma and by a season finale that can see the Giallorossi protagonists in the Europa League and in the fight for the Champions League zone. But the future is still to be written for Tammy Abraham, who in an interview with Four Four Two answered the question about a possible return to Chelsea without closing the door on the Blues: “In football, never say never – explains the Giallorossi number 9 – right now my attention is focused on Roma: we want to finish the season in the best possible way. I haven’t started thinking about anything other than doing my best. I wouldn’t say there are loose ends in England, I’m not in a hurry. Football doesn’t have a place, it can be anywhere. Maybe I’ll stay at Roma for the next ten years, or maybe no. You never know what’s around the corner.”

Phone call

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In 2021, before landing in the capital, it was Arsenal who knocked on the door of the Englishman. What made the difference in the decision-making process that led Abraham to accept a new challenge in Serie A was the presence of Mourinho on the Giallorossi bench. One factor that convinced the forward to turn down the Gunners: “It was time to leave Chelsea and I was talking to various clubs in England and Europe. My attention was directed to a certain London club, it was Arsenal. My father is a big fan, so he was very enthusiastic, everything was fine. But then José called me, I usually never answer numbers that I haven’t saved in my contacts: “Hi Tammy, it’s José”. And I thought , “Wow, what a surprise!” He asked me how the family was. I knew him well because he had seen me as a kid at Chelsea. He asked me, “Are you ready to leave the bad weather and come under the Roman sun?” He explained the project and his ambitions to me. He had only been in Rome for a short time, but he explained what he had seen and what it felt like. I spoke to my agents and they said there was no doubt, it was a perfect moment to start a new life, to go abroad and get to know another culture. I was so ready and I haven’t looked back since.” The advice from Rüdiger and Jorginho was also valuable: “They both told me that Roma are a great club. I was watching Roma in the Champions League and I had an idea, but coming here was a crazy experience. The fans were also waiting for me at the airport. I had a private flight, so they didn’t know what time I would land. They had been there since morning. To have that welcome was incredible.”

Mou and Dybala

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Although Abraham isn’t having an easy time – his last goal for Roma dates back to 4 February – and his presence in the Giallorossi starting eleven has become far from certain in the last month, the relationship between the forward and the Special One continues to be great. “José is a legend, I love him. He’s what we call a real boss. He’s a leader” explains the former Chelsea manager, speaking of his coach: “When he speaks, you listen to him. He knows how to manage his men, he’s one of the best in the world at it. He knows how to guide you, how to really get inside your head. Even if you’re doing a great job, he’ll still try to get you to do more. He’s never satisfied, he always wants more. Before the Conference League semi-final against Leicester we played a league game and I thought we were playing a good game. I was full of confidence, but the next day José called me in the meeting room. We had Leicester after two days, there was no time to recover. He told me : “Tam, I don’t think you were good enough”. In my head I thought “I played well enough!”. He said: “I think you can do better”. No problem. When he speaks, I always listen and follow the He told me that he thought I wasn’t scoring enough with my head, especially from corners. The absurd thing is that two days later against Leicester, I scored a header from a corner! I remember trying to figure out how he managed to make me do it”. In addition to the one with Mourinho, Abraham also seems to have formed a special bond with Dybala: “Every day we train together, we have lots of laughs and this relationship bears fruit even in match”.

Missed World Cup

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When asked about the disappointment he felt after not being called up to the World Cup, Abraham doesn’t hide and explains the reasons for his exclusion: “Southgate told me I had the wrong form at the wrong time, that it would be unfair to the other players. I expected. It’s harder to get called up if you don’t play in the Premier League, Serie A matches aren’t shown in England. I wasn’t at a stage where I was in confidence, so I expected it. But obviously it’s not nice to hear these things. I was still getting used to the changes and at first I didn’t focus on myself. If something went wrong, I was the first to blame others instead of sitting down and thinking about what I needed to improve. Sometimes if you see a player like me with your head down, without confidence, it also affects the confidence of the team.” But now the worst seems to be over: “I had to react. I said to myself ‘I’m an important player, my team must see me happy and confident'”. Now Tammy just has to get back to scoring.