Manu Koné recounts his decision to join Roma, previews Derby della Capitale | OneFootball

Roma midfielder Manu Koné spoke at length with Il Romanista ahead of tonight’s Derby della Capitale with Lazio.

The Frenchman recounted his decision to join the Giallorossi as well as the experience of seeing Daniele De Rossi and Ivan Juric sacked in his first three months at the club.

“Do I regret joining Roma? No, absolutely not. Roma is a great club and I am absolutely proud to be part of it,” said Koné.

“Before I came, De Rossi had explained to me for a long time how he would use me, without a doubt one of the reasons that brought me here was the feeling that had been established between us, but I repeat, Roma remains a great club.”

“Unfortunately there was no time to get to know each other better, I do not deny that his dismissal was a little shock for me, but we know well how football goes.”

“I have a competitive spirit but I was very sorry for De Rossi. In the summer he told me that he needed me, my quality and that he had followed me carefully during the Olympic Games: in short, for him I was the perfect player.”

“Juric? When the new coach arrived, the transition was so quick that there wasn’t much time to talk among ourselves, we just told each other to give our best for ourselves and for the fans. We wanted to try to show on the field what we were worth.”

“What was my secret in adapting to these changes? I wouldn’t say there are any secrets, since I was little I’ve been used to doing it. I left my family at 10 years old, I trained far from home even in Toulouse, ditto in Germany and only with my own strength I managed to assert myself. I simply know that if I work well on the pitch, then I will demonstrate my qualities.”

“When I was a child I lived in the suburbs of Paris, about 10 minutes from the Stade de France, and you could see it from afar: as children we played in the street and dreamed of playing in it one day. I often happened to play with the older ones, even with my brothers.”

“The family? There are 8 of us in total, but in Rome I am alone. My dad played in Africa, my two brothers, one plays semi-professionally and one in the amateurs.”

“Is this the biggest moment of my career? I am a guy who likes to take responsibility, I have great faith in my qualities. They were all very important stages in a few months, from the Olympics to Roma to the debut with the French national team, but for me it was not a shock or a surprise, but the logical consequence of the work I had done. Some may feel the pressure, but on the pitch I always enter with the tranquility of someone who knows what he can do.”

“The derby? I have played other games of this sort, but between rival teams and not a city derby like this. For me it will be the first time, I understand that it is something huge, but we come from a good performance. We will try to do our best.”

“Guendouzi? I have no friends on the pitch. No discounts made. It’s always a battle for me.”

“Pellegrini? We have a great relationship. He welcomed me in the best way, he is one of those who often jokes with me and for us he is a very important player: he always trains hard, he is always there to help the team. But above all he is an example for all of us.”

“We had a complicated start, with three coaches and we struggled to find the right rhythm, but now we are on the right path. We are increasingly cohesive as a group and also in training, it is always better.”

“In any case, it is difficult to give indications of where we could arrive, but I hope as high as possible to be able to qualify for Europe for next season. We are equipped to contend for the Europa League title this year.”

“The Friedkins? We always feel their presence, we always feel them close and they have always put us in the best conditions to win games. At the moment they are certainly not happy with the results, but we are the ones who have to respond on the field, respond to their expectations to realize their project.”

“Ranieri? For us it is a great fortune to have him as a coach, he is a great technician, but I already knew him from the time of Monaco: he is a very experienced coach, his idea of ​​football always proves true. We listen to him and grow with his advice because he makes us play well.”

“Le Fee? I have known him for 4 years, since the national team, and I think he is a very strong player. Finding him again in Rome was a pleasure. In training he always shows his value, it is certainly a difficult time for him but he must be patient and continue to work hard: the attitude is the right one, he fights and fights, I think he is very strong and an important player.”

“Yes, I want to stay at Roma and win. I have a very long contract. And I immediately felt the love of the fans, this undoubtedly made my settling in easier.”