. He is a tough guy who always gives his all and is a great asset to us. Generally speaking, if I see a teammate who is sad or a little depressed, I try to motivate him. I did that to him in the Lecce game, when I said to him: "You either get a yellow card for a collision or you score a goal." That's exactly what happened: he scored the decisive goal.

You are the idol of the fans. Does this cause you stress?

No, this gives me great motivation. Our fans are amazing and I would love to play at the Stadio Olimpico forever. But I know that if something goes wrong, I have to take responsibility and step up. This is a positive and right thing to do. Behind us is a city that cares deeply about us. So must we.

There have been rumors that you, Cristante and Pellegrini are the "big guys" in the dressing room.

I've never heard anything about the "big guys" at Milan, Juventus or Inter... This statement is a bit hurtful because it's not true. The dressing room is run by the coach, the sporting director and the president, we just play football. At most, when a new person comes, we can let him understand what Rome is and what kind of place he has arrived. But that doesn’t mean taking control of the locker room.

What is your greatest joy and greatest regret?

The joy is of course winning the European Cup, everyone belittles it, but we know how difficult it is to win it. I think back to the celebration, all those people. The pain was in Budapest (European Cup final). I experienced everything in that game: assisting Dybala's goal, the own goal that always echoes in my mind, and the missed penalty, which was the first penalty kick in my life. After that, I often woke up in my dreams and dreamed that I was going to take that penalty kick again. That final was like a dagger.

What happened with Spalletti? You haven't been selected for the national team since the European Cup...

There is nothing, there has never been any controversy. A coach may like one player and not so much another. When I'm called up, I'm out there; if I'm at home, I'm cheering for the team. I was annoyed and unhappy, but I always respected the decision. The coach made other choices.

What changes have occurred from him (Spaletti) to Gattuso (national team)?

With Gattuso, there is an immediate feeling that no mistakes can be made, but at the same time there is also a strong desire to stay together calmly. Spalletti, as he himself said, tried to use many concepts to make us understand what he wanted. But this team has always been healthy.

There is no room for error in the World Cup play-offs.

I don’t even want to think about a different outcome. We have time to understand what the coach wants and we have to face it with a clear understanding that this is our third play-off in eight years. Enough talk, now the pitch has to do the talking.

You often say that the football world is full of "sharks"

That's it. You have to stay awake and sharp, be cautious, there is always someone ready to trip you up or give you a blow on the neck. There are countless traps, someone smiles at you, and then... you have to become a "shark" too.

Are you ready to end your life in Rome?

I have a good life here, and there is a mutual love between me and the fans in this city. I'd love to stay, but I don't want to set myself up for this problem right now. I only think about the present and improving myself. And never stop learning.

Mini-game recommendations:Travel with Me: ASMR Edition