Marten De Roon is increasingly important to Roma. Having arrived in the final stages of the summer transfer window, the club didn't welcome the Dutch midfielder's acquisition. But with his hard work on the pitch, the number 15 has earned the trust of the Roma fans. He's now a key midfielder, both as a starter and as a midfielder, and at Trigoria, they're starting to think about a renewal.
The midfielder played in the last World Cup, and spoke to Ziggo Sport about his emotions over that unexpected call-up . "I think I had a brief conversation with Koeman in March. He explained that I wasn't yet in the plans to be called up that month, but that I could take into account the possibility of something happening in view of the World Cup, without giving me any certainties. It often happened that when someone was missing or injured, they would mention me again in the press, but I didn't put much stock in it. It's always nice when your name is mentioned; it obviously means you're doing something good or that you're still being considered. I played practically every game at Atalanta from 2024 onwards, things were going pretty well, so from that point of view I didn't think about it too much. In any case, I was very calm. I told him: 'Mister, I'm thinking about working on myself. If he needs me, I've never said goodbye to the national team and I'm not in a position to do so. So, if he needs me, I'm here, but he can make his own decisions.' At the end of the season, I didn't go on holiday. I wanted to be ready, and when the phone rang and it was him, I realized it could be very positive news. He was quite quick, he asked me: 'How are you feeling? Are you fit? We've seen that you're doing well...' 'Did you have any doubts?' I replied, adding that I wasn't expecting anything so as not to be disappointed. He said: 'Well, for me there are no doubts, come with us.' That's when that big smile appeared that I think stayed plastered on my face until the 120 minutes against Morocco.
A different World Cup…
“Compared to 2022, when I expected to play and do well, I started with a different mentality: 'If I can play and help the team, I'm happy to do so, but if I can do it in a different way, that's fine too.' I'd been told I was important to the team, both for how I behave off the pitch and as a person. I just tried to bring positive energy; being a little older, you have experience and see things from a different perspective. I knew my role very well: I knew that if things got complicated and we needed to tighten up the defense, I could be very useful. I approached it with the idea of fully enjoying everything I could take and give. I think I did well. Unfortunately, it didn't have the result I hoped for, but I truly appreciated every single moment.”
De Roon: “There was negativity about what America would be like, but it was beautiful.”
On the reception in America.
There was some negativity about what America would be like, but the way this tournament was organized, both in terms of atmosphere and cities, was wonderful. We had a hotel with a section reserved for us, a gym, ping pong tables, and games. The sports center was fantastic; I think we trained at the Kansas City women's team center, with pitches in perfect condition in a real soccer city. The atmosphere was great; people were happy to see us on the streets. The training facilities were excellent; we lacked nothing. The atmosphere in the group was fantastic.
On the future of the national team with Xavi and possible trophies.
“I watched two of the four games, and we did well. We put in a positive performance against Germany, and the second half away against Greece was excellent. I saw Xavi's influence; we need to be positive. The quality is there. We lack the fierce conviction that Argentines have to go beyond the limit. I see it here at Roma too: we have several Argentines in the squad, like Molina, Dybala, and Castro. Off the pitch, they're sociable, but when they play, they transform themselves to win. If we could develop a little more cohesion, combined with the talent we have, sooner or later we'll win.”
