Mancini names Conference League trophy as career highlight: “Winning it was one of the key moments of my life.” | OneFootball

Gianluca Mancini, defender for Roma and the Italian national team, gave a lengthy interview to the official channels of VIVO AZZURRO TV, retracing the key moments of his career and life, from his grandfather’s pitch to his European triumphs.

The Giallorossi player described a serene and carefree start to his career, thanks to his father’s approach: “My grandfather had built a small football pitch around his land. It was our little training center. My father always encouraged me to experience football in a calm, happy way. I treated it like a game and with a lot of lightheartedness; perhaps this is what helped me reach the top levels of football.”

His debut in Serie B marked the moment he realized that football had definitively become a career.

The most significant moments in his life aren’t just sporting: “The most important moments in my life were the birth of my daughters, my wedding, my debut in Serie A, and my debut for the national team.”

On a footballing level, an unforgettable moment of pride was winning the Conference League with Roma: “Seeing all those people in Rome filled me with pride.”

His inspiration on the pitch has always been Materazzi: “My passion for Materazzi was born mainly in the 2006 World Cup. I was ten years old, and he was the absolute star. Watching him play, I always appreciated his personality, his determination, and the fact that, for better or for worse, he always put his face forward.”

Their relationship blossomed into friendship after they met in Perugia.

Mancini has a deep connection with the Azzurri, rooted in his childhood: “The national team has always meant so much. I spent summers with friends at the bar or at home watching Italy games, I’d put my hand on my chest and sing the anthem. When I step onto the pitch with the national team today, the first thing that comes to mind are those anthems sung with friends.”