DIEGO PEROTTI, AS ROMA PLAYER: “THE TROPHY WILL BE A VERY SPECIAL DAY”

There were emotional words from former Sevilla FC player Diego Perotti, currently on the books at AS Roma, when it was his time to speak. This was the case not only due to returning to what was his home for seven years, but also doing so to play in the Antonio Puerta Trophy, Perotti admitting that he did not have “the pleasure of meeting or training with him, because when I first arrived I played for Sevilla Atlético while he was with the first team. But I've been told so much about him and heard many great things, so it's almost as if I had. It's a very special day, a tribute that is beyond emotional and well deserved for a player who has given a lot to this Club and for having been such a good person, as is clear from the memory everyone has of him. All in all, playing in this tournament is doubly moving”.

"I never shared the dressing room with him, but I've been told so much about Antonio that it's almost as if I had done"

Now a player for the Italian side, he is not alone in the capital in being a former Sevilla player, relying on the support of Fazio, and of course Ramón Rodríguez, or 'Monchi': “I've been sharing a dressing room with Fazio for almost ten years, he's like a brother for me. We've grown together in a sporting sense, and the most important growth in our careers took place here, at Sevilla FC. And now we're both at Roma. And the same goes for Monchi. I worked for seven years here with him and to find myself back with him again is a great thing. I know the level of professional that he is and the good work that he did with Sevilla, which I hope he repeats with us”.

The player accompanied his coach, Eusebio Di Francesco, in the press conference, where the AS Roma coach gave a hint of what he knows about his counterpart at Sevilla FC: “I've already met Berizzo, since last season we played a friendly against Celta. He has a different style of play to that of Sampaoli, but Sevilla FC have a tradition of doing very well in the league and in Europe. I also know one of their signings, Luis Muriel, who I'm sure will add a lot of pace to the team”.