Rome, Sabatini on Mourinho, Dybala and Mihajlovic

It matters little if four managers have alternated on the bench of sporting director of Trigoria since the day of his farewell. Because despite the inexorable passage of time, the love for the yellow and red colors and the desire to see “his” Rome excel are feelings that have not left Walter Sabatini’s heart and mind. The years spent at Fulvio Bernardini will forever represent an indelible chapter in the life of the former Roma manager, who was captivated by the work done in the capital by José Mourinho. A precious commitment, which has allowed the club to reach the third consecutive European semi-final (the fourth in the last six seasons): “Roma today is a scientific team that knows how and when to hit the opponent, who have won and will still win many matches – Sabatini explains to the microphones of New Sound Level – is a group that the coach is really managing in a scientific way, he doesn’t miss a move. Look at the technical meeting that Mourinho did with the team under the curve in the match against Feyenoord, real magic, he charged up the environment, the team, sent them back on the field for extra time with a mentality and emotional fullness to be able to face the match out of the ordinary and it was an extraordinary result. /50 seconds from the end, Roma were out of the cup, while Pellegrini made Totti and Dybala made Dybala – all with time running out – it was football magic.”

DYBALA

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Impossible for a “hound of talent” like Sabatini not to dwell on the impact of Paulo Dybala on the Roma squad. And the Argentine’s choice to move to the shadow of the Colosseum may also have had an influence on the opinion of the former Romanist sporting director: “A champion like him must be protected and accompanied, no one knows how to do it better than Mourinho. It is obvious that Dybala’s performance is also linked to the prodigious leadership of the coach who knows how to best manage a talented player since he has coached so many.Last summer I saw Paulo at an award ceremony and I advised him: go to Rome, you are the right player to stay in the Rome for your psychology, for your way of playing. Go to Rome without the slightest doubt. That is your audience, that is the ideal city where you will fully realize yourself, as it is doing”. Therefore, the method that allowed the Friedkins to sign one of the top players in the Italian championship, who arrived in the capital without transfer fees, does not matter: “Honestly, I don’t really like zero parameters because you have to grant ‘priceless’ salaries for this type of signing while with the operations, by paying the price tag, you manage to calm the engagements. Of course, if the zero parameters are all like Matic, it’s worth doing them…”.

CAPITAL GAINS

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Different speech instead when it comes to capital gains. A way of making the market widely embraced by Sabatini during his stay in Rome, but in compliance with the rules. The former executive is keen to clarify this before touching the Juventus button and the judicial proceedings involving the black and whites: “Capital gains are a bad habit to heal the balance sheets with some tricks that Roma have never adopted, certainly not mine Rome, which has always made real capital gains. As for the points given, taken away and then put back, this is embarrassing, because I don’t think this type of attitude can be acceptable. The championship must have its certainties, the points must be those which they must be, it is strange that the penalty is still suspended today. This leaves everything in a climate of uncertainty that involves too many clubs and frankly does not bode well for the regularity of the championship. Because the teams, such as Roma for example, who are struggling for the Champions League area, I’m very embarrassed, obviously.” And again: “This is a gray page in our football, in contrast to an extraordinary moment of our teams in Europe, so it’s really a shame”.

MIHAJLOVIC

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Touching the memory of his friend Mihajlovic, who had collaborated with Sabatini at Bologna: “I miss Siniša a lot. He was a great friend, we often saw each other with the families. A very generous, loyal man, his death was a strong pain, a distressing loss. Not a day goes by that my thoughts don’t go to him.”