Marten De Roon gave an interview to Idealista.it in which he discussed his arrival in Rome: "When the coach called me, I already knew it would be a difficult move, partly because of the history of Roma and Atalanta, partly because of my history with Roma on social media; but at a certain point we had made up our minds, I had no doubts. The pitch speaks for itself. I had no doubts; I wanted to prove on the pitch my desire to be here. Gasperini is also demonstrating that; facts count, there's time."
The Dutch midfielder explained how he experiences football: "In two different ways. On the pitch, I want to win at all costs. My main quality, what I like to do, is to see the game. I'm tactically prepared, it's my strength: I see where we can attack well, where we can defend better. From midfield, I like to manage the team, call the markers. Off the pitch, I like to joke, talk, and, above all, observe. I like trying to help my teammates; I'm a professional, and even off the pitch, I try to be helpful, given my age and experience."
The former Atalanta player spoke about the Giallorossi dressing room: "A lot of people are nice. I'm still finding my role, so I don't joke around too much, but the atmosphere is healthy; it seems like an 'easy' dressing room. Years ago, I thought it was a very difficult dressing room, even playing against them; now I've come in and I've seen that it's healthy, warm, and welcoming. I already knew some of them, obviously Malen, Rensch, Mancini, Gollini, and Cristante. That obviously helps; it's made things easier."
De Roon shared a behind-the-scenes story about how he looked for a place to live in the capital: “I spoke to the guys here in the locker room. Pellegrini helped me get to know the city and helped me with so many things, along with the club.”
De Roon: "My professional relationship with Gasperini. Rome is the most beautiful city in the world."
Marten De Roon spoke about his relationship with Gasperini: “We spent eight years together, we had the best time with Atalanta, we fought so many battles together, and I've always thanked him. The relationship is above all professional; if he's your coach, you don't see him off the pitch during the week. Last year, he called me every now and then, asking about Malen, but more than anything he wanted confirmation; he was already convinced. I had no doubts. He's doing pretty well, right?” (laughs, ed.)
The Dutch midfielder on the city of Rome: "I've been here a lot over the past four years. The climate is wonderful, I've always loved the city; there's so much culture, the food is incredible. Living here is different. I live a bit further out, so the traffic in the mornings is different, but I love it."
The former Atalanta player is in love with the Eternal City and hasn't ruled out buying a house in the future : "Right now, I'm thinking about the pitch. I haven't thought about it, but why not in the future? Rome is the most beautiful city in the world. We'll think about it slowly."
