A lifetime at Roma, a league title at Milan. Alessandro tells his story: “I started by copying Pizarro’s moves; at Barça, a goal that’s worth two. And if I have to go into battle, I’ll take Nainggolan with me”
If it’s true that life is a journey, there are always places you’re happy to return to. Alessandro Florenzi’s have more dirt than grass where he used to dribble the ball, the shouts of children, and high-rises all around. That’s where he bid farewell to soccer a few months ago with a heartfelt video; that’s where his adventure began. “My parents ran a sports field in Acilia, near Rome. When I got out of school, I’d go behind the shipping containers that served as locker rooms; there was a small dirt patch where I spent my days with a ball. My mom would blow the final whistle when she yelled that we were closing up and had to go home. I was a happy kid, I was tiny, and everyone called me Sandrino.”
A happy and talented child. Both Lazio and Roma wanted him.
“My parents told me: ‘You choose the place where you feel most at home.’ And as soon as I left Trigoria, I immediately said, ‘I want to play here.’ I never thought I’d spend almost my entire career here…”
His name appears in 1,039 Sports Prediction headlines, the first one reading: “Florenzi, Roma has the new Pizarro.”
“I played as the deep-lying playmaker in a three-man midfield, and back then ‘Pek’ was the boss; I’d copy his movements and plays. Another player I adored was Fabregas. Then I played many different roles; I was the fantasy football managers’ dream—they’d draft me and win.”
He had two defining moments in professional soccer.
“My Serie A debut replacing Totti was unforgettable. And the loan to Crotone, which changed my life. For the first time, I was living on my own, and in a new city to boot; I had to do my own grocery shopping, cook… the things that make you a man.“
Florenzi, soccer, and video games. That time in Sweden with the Under-21s…
”Kalmar, 2013, European Championship qualifying playoffs. We were a superstitious bunch; on every away trip, a game on the PlayStation was a must. At the hotel, we looked at each other after coming out of our rooms—there was a problem: the TVs were old and didn’t have cable ports. But we couldn’t give up that ritual. We pooled our money, sent the press officer to buy a TV, and he came back with a massive thing. The superstition worked; the next day we won, with goals from me, Insigne, and Immobile. For better or worse, we took that giant TV with us, and as soon as we arrived at the airport, they told us our flight would be delayed due to a storm. We set it up there, between the waiting area seats, pulled out the console, and started playing. Video games were just what we needed.“
To what?
”It was a great way to hang out together. We’d even have 12 or 13 of us in one room, joking around, sharing stories, becoming friends. If I’ve learned anything in my career, it’s that that’s the secret to winning. A single player can make a three-point play, but it’s the team that wins you the championship.”
Florenzi, the man of beautiful goals. He scored with an overhead kick against Genoa; Totti said: “If I score one like that, I’ll quit.”
“Francesco can say whatever he wants; he’s scored unforgettable goals. From that perspective, I can’t even think of comparing myself to him.”
In 2015, he scored with a chip shot from midfield against Barcelona, and then the Puskas Award went to the unknown Wendell Lira…
“I was disappointed; in my opinion, the rule is wrong. They talk about objectivity regarding the competition, but I scored in the Champions League and he scored in Brazil in the Goiano Championship… I’m left with the joy of having
scored a goal worth at least two.”
Florenzi, his grandmother’s pride and joy.
“Grandma Aurora had never been to the stadium. The day before the match against Cagliari (September 21, 2014, ed.), I told her: ‘If I score, I’m coming up to hug you—I don’t care about anything else.’ What still sticks with me is De Rossi’s look when I came back onto the field and the referee was cautioning me. He came over and said to me: ‘You did something truly incredible. But if you do something stupid now and get another yellow card, I’ll kill you right in front of everyone.’ My blood ran cold—when Daniele spoke, he spoke like a sheriff… After the match, we burst out laughing.”
Over the years, Roma has always come close to victory without ever clinching it. Why is that?
“I don’t consider it our fault; with Garcia and Spalletti, we came within a hair’s breadth—we were exceptionally well-equipped. But we were up against a Juve side that was racking up 100 points a season…”
You didn’t exactly leave on the best of terms with the Roma environment.
“There were many misunderstandings, but I never responded to everything that was said about me. I always wanted to let my performance on the field speak for itself while showing respect for the jersey: I gave it my all until the very end, and no one can ever say otherwise. I want to make it clear that I never argued with anyone, and when I meet the fans, they remember me fondly.”
The five best players he’s played with?
“Totti, Ibrahimovic, Neymar, Mbappé, and Di Maria. I’ll sit on the bench and cheer them on.“
The craziest one?
”In a good way, Nainggolan—he’s worth five players. He lives life to the fullest, always giving it his all. Off the field, a player can do whatever he wants; what matters is what he does on it. And you could see that in him—that grit, that ferocity, that desire to help his teammates… So, if I have to go into battle, I’d take Radja.“
Who dressed the worst?
”Me, though I’ve improved. Actually, Manolas was worse than me: I remember him with a black shoulder bag…”
Florenzi the numerologist: how did you develop this passion?
“By listening to a podcast and reading a few books. If you add up the numbers in your birthdate, you get a number between 1 and 9: mine came out to 7, and the only year I won the Scudetto, at Milan, I wore number 25—2 plus 5 equals 7. See? You connect so many things…”
