Roma’s Soulé: Italy’s not for me, I feel Argentine and want to stay | OneFootball

Roma striker Matias Soulé gave an interview to Il Messaggero in which he addressed several topics: his future, the battle at the top of Serie A, the national team, and the upcoming clash against Inter and his friend Lautaro Martínez.

Roma, Soulé: “To Italy I say no, thanks. I feel Argentine and I want to stay in Rome”

Gasperini’s Roma comes to the big match as league leaders, and Soulé doesn’t hide his enthusiasm and determination: “Last week we ran so much, it felt like we were still in training camp. Can you believe we still have to prepare for the match? We’re working hard and want to be ready.”

“Lautaro is very strong, but I hope he arrives late”

On the duel against Inter, Soulé jokes with a smile, but acknowledges the strength of the Nerazzurri and his friend Lautaro: “Lautaro is a great player and a really good person. I heard he was supposed to come back earlier, I hope he arrives late… Jokes aside, it’s always great to face players like him. With the Argentina national team, we could even play together, it would be a dream.”

“To Italy I say no, thanks: I feel Argentine”

Rumors of possible interest from Italy in Soulé have received a definitive answer. The striker has no doubts: “Has anything changed since I said no to Spalletti? No, everything’s the same. I feel Argentine, I am Argentine. I told Spalletti as well, whom I thank for his interest. Maybe my agent was a bit upset when he saw Scaloni’s call-ups, but I never changed my mind. No one from Italy has contacted me again, and even if they did, I’d say ‘no, thanks’. I’m proud of the interest from a historic national team like Italy, but my dream remains to wear the shirt of the Argentina national team.”

“First by chance? Maybe, but we want to stay there”

Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini recently declared that Roma is not yet Champions League material and that their top spot in the standings could be a coincidence. Soulé responds with maturity: “I think he’s telling the truth: we’re not Champions League level yet, but we want to get there. That’s our main goal. We shouldn’t get carried away, it’s only the beginning and we need consistency. Being first could be by chance, but we want to stay there and prove our worth, match after match.”

“Gasperini put me back in my role”

Soulé praised Gasperini’s work, who has placed him in his preferred attacking position: “Playing as a wing-back with Ranieri helped me understand a lot of tactical situations, but now I’m back to expressing myself where I feel most comfortable. Gasperini has given me trust and freedom: I feel great.”

“From Allegri I learned compactness… and to cut my hair”

During the interview, the Giallorossi talent also recalled the coaches he has met along the way: Allegri, Di Francesco, De Rossi, Ranieri, and Juric. “Allegri taught me compactness. He never wanted a ball to go out in a careless way, he could go crazy even in training. And yes, it’s true: he made me cut my hair! I came from Argentina, my hair was long and blonde. After the first training session he told me that if I didn’t cut it, I might as well not show up again. The next day I ran to the barber.”

“Inter will show us who we really are”

In closing, Soulé looks ahead to Sunday’s clash against the Nerazzurri with clarity: “These are the matches that show you how much you’re worth. We’re working with intensity, without distractions. The goal is to stay at the top, but always with our feet on the ground.”

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.