On the eve of the match against Udinese , former player of the day Abel Balbo returned to talk about Roma during a long interview given in the columns of La Gazzetta dello Sport.
182 appearances for Roma and 144 for Udinese . For Balbo, today's match will never be a normal one, as he himself stated, also dwelling on the Giallorossi's current form and Gasperini 's qualities.
Balbo: "Roma is playing for the Scudetto."
Abel Balbo, for you Udinese-Roma will always be special.
"It's my favorite race, yes. In Friuli I became a man, they welcomed me like a son. I arrived in Udine thanks to a flash of inspiration from Marino, who came to see me secretly in Argentina."
And Rome?
"Compared to Udine, it was like gliding onto a new planet: you go from a small town of 100 inhabitants to a city of millions. Everything changes. I had some spectacular years with the Giallorossi, especially with Mazzone on the bench. Carletto was like a father to me."
Speaking of the Giallorossi team, how do you see it this year?
"Roma is strong, really strong. They have a solid squad, made up of players with talent. Gasp makes them perform at their best; they'd throw themselves into the fire for him."
Who surprised you the most?
"If I had to choose one, I'd say Soulé. He's become a leader, he knows how to carry the team on his shoulders. Then Balerdi: the perfect player for a coach like Gasp."
Can he win the championship?
"Yes, although they'll be battling against Inter, who currently have a better starting eleven and substitutes. Roma will be the antagonist until the end. If the Nerazzurri slip up... they'll have to be there ready to seize the opportunity."
Does it remind you a bit of the Roma team that won in 2001?
"No… easy on the comparisons. That team was something else entirely. We had champions in every department. I was the fourth striker, and up front I had Batistuta, Totti, and Montella. We could only win. The credit for that victory goes to Franco Sensi, an enlightened president. There are no men like him in football anymore..."
He was the one who wanted her in Rome, right?
"Yes, and I'm infinitely grateful. And to think I arrived in Rome almost by chance. I was supposed to go to Inter, but president Pellegrini didn't take me because I had a terrible signature. In fact, it was truly awful... I changed it from there. Sensi spent a lot to lure me away from Udine—18 billion of the old lire—and for him I turned down so many offers in the years that followed. Even from Juventus. I definitely wouldn't have gone to Turin out of respect."
In attack with her there was also a young Francesco Totti.
Francesco was young, but already very strong. We tried to reassure him and leave him alone. After Fonseca's injury, he often played alongside me. I didn't teach him anything—you can't teach someone like that anything—but I tried to make him feel comfortable. Mazzone did the same. If I'd played with him years later, I'd have scored tons of goals.
What kind of challenge will it be in Friuli?
"Very physical, driven by the details. Roma are playing for the Scudetto and will need to maintain their excellent results, while Udinese must emerge from the quicksand. It will require personality: the Bianconeri are strong and have a good coach: their position in the table like this is inexplicable."
