The Serbian midfielder: “I love the Giallorossi fans. And they deserve so much more”
Nemanja Matic, a Serbian midfielder born in 1988, currently at Sassuolo and a former star for Chelsea, Manchester United and Roma, among others, opens up in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, from which we have selected the most interesting excerpts.
You’ve played for so many teams. Is there one that feels more like home?
“I take something from every experience, every city, every club. I spent five years at United and it’s natural to think more about that team, but they’re all important to me.”
Roma too, then?
“I love the Giallorossi fans. And they deserve so much more. The stadium is always full; you can feel their passion. They should have the chance to fight for the title every year, yet that hasn’t happened for far too long. It’s as if something is preventing the team from growing. I left solely because of a lack of respect from the directors, who had promised me things that didn’t materialise. There were too many delays when it came to renewing my contract. It was a matter of principle; I wasn’t a kid anymore. In Rome, they only thought in terms of one-year contracts, so I chose other projects.”
MOURINHO AND CONTE
Mourinho was his manager at Chelsea, United, and Roma. Was he always the same José?
“No, he was calmer at Roma. Mourinho is an exceptional character, and he’s realized that the younger generations are different from ours.”
What has changed?
“The pressure and how you handle it. Social media has changed everything. It’s harder for young players now: anyone thinks they can be a pundit and starts a YouTube channel to pass judgment, perhaps without having the expertise. It’s not easy to focus on the job and stay calm. When I was twenty, I’d read the paper and look for my ratings. One, two, or three people would talk about me. That was it. Now everyone says and writes whatever they want, but the problem is that the lads read it. So on one site you get a high rating, on another you get a low one, and you don’t understand how that’s possible.”
How did you get on with Conte?
“Very well: a great manager and a great man. It took a bit of time to adjust because he wanted to do double training sessions, which aren’t the norm in England. But he understood the situation, we found a compromise, and we won the Premier League.”
SASSUOLO
How did Sassuolo manage to convince you?
“With a nice meeting in Milan. Giovanni Carnevali and Fabio Grosso were there with me. They explained how the club works and the importance of young players. And then I saw the splendid training ground: for me, it’s important to train in a place I like. It’s nice to have lots of young lads around; I can be useful, explain things to them and help them develop. When the season ends, we’ll talk again. Sassuolo knows that if I’m happy, I have no problem carrying on.”
Did you tell Carnevali that you’d like to play in the cup competitions again?
“Carnevali knows, and he’d like to play in them too. In the space of a month, I’ve realised that survival couldn’t be our only goal, but it takes time to develop. After all, Sassuolo have only just returned from Serie B.”
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