Strootman discusses Barca, Bologna, Cengiz and more

Read what the Dutch midfielder had to say about the upcoming games against Bologna and Barcelona, his own recent form and fitness, and his relationship with some of his teammates...

It has been an unusual week, how do you stay focused with such a big game around the corner?

"We’ve thought about Barcelona too of course, like the fans, but in order to go into that match in the right frame of mind we have to beat Bologna first. It’ll be a tricky game, but one we’ve got to win – the Champions League counts for nothing in Serie A, and vice versa. We have to make sure we win against Bologna, and then we can focus on Barca."

Your approach to your work is very precise...

"I think my approach changed after my injury. My training and preparation had to be adjusted. Yes, maybe I am a little bit over the top with my focus on precision and detail, but it’s because I prefer it that way. They all make fun of me for it sometimes, even the coaches and medical staff, but I feel good approaching things in this way. After my injury I had some doctors even telling me I would never play again, or never finish a game, but I’ve now played maybe 80 or 90 matches since my recovery so I think I’m going about things in the right way."

Have you ever been a couple of minutes late for training?

Only for interviews! No, honestly in the whole squad it’s only happened once or twice over the whole year. The lads are always on time, it’s great.

Even the ones that aren’t Dutch?

"Yes, even the Brazilians and South Americans, everyone!"

Recently Juan Jesus said that the squad is very united, is this true?

"I think it’s true. You notice these things most when the going gets tough, which for us was over December and January, when we lost some games in the league, and got knocked out of the cup. The group was always together, everyone talking to each other. Normally cliques and factions start to build up, and of course that’s natural at any time - Brazilians or Argentines will usually hang out with their countrymen, Italians too - but the team always stayed united.

"If we went out for a team dinner, it would be all 22, 23 of us together, which really counts for something. When things are going well it’s easy to get on, to say that you’re united, that you’re all part of a big happy family. I saw a real group this year, one that stuck together through the hard times too. We need to keep this unity, and use it to push us on...

You can see it on the pitch...

"Yes, and I think we maybe need to show it even more on the pitch. If you’re friends with someone you want to do more for them, but you should also look to be honest with them if they make mistakes. A balance needs to be struck there, but I think we’re doing it well."

Who pays when you go out for dinner as a whole team?

"Well, that’s the beauty of going out for dinner with footballers, they’re all keen to pick up the bill! Unless it’s a very pricy restaurant of course, in which case it quietens down a bit… I haven’t paid yet this year, so they’ll probably tell me it’s my turn next time we go out.

Pizza next time then?

"Yeah, pizza or burgers, something simple!"

What was the team's reaction to the Champions League draw?

"Well, we didn’t really want to draw Barca, or course, but at this stage of the Champions League there are no easy opponents left. Some people may have hoped for Sevilla or Liverpool but they’re far from pushovers themselves. We fought hard for this moment. I look back to that last match of the season last year against Genoa, the final 15 minutes; we gave everything to get into the Champions League. You put yourself through that so that you can play in games like this.

"We’ll do everything we can to get a result that we can take home, so that we can give ourselves a decent chance in the return leg. If we give ourselves that opportunity, playing in front of a sell-out crowd of our supporters, you never know what might happen… We’re happy to be here, and we’re not here by chance either."

When did you realise you were one of the leaders of this team?

"I’m not very keen on the word ‘leader'. You get called a leader loads when you’re winning, and then suddenly you’re not one anymore when you start to lose. I always look to help my teammates, it’s part of my role as midfielder too of course. I’m not the guy who’s going to skin two defenders and score, that’s not my game, so if I can help out the other players then everyone benefits. Daniele De Rossi is the real leader of the team."

Cengiz looks more and more comfortable in the team, what do you make of him?

"He’s definitely becoming more and more part of the group. He still has a little difficulty with the language, which is particularly tricky for him because he doesn’t have much English either. At the start he only spoke Turkish, but he’s picking up Italian now and that’s definitely helping him. He’s doing well on the pitch too, which is something which goes down well among the team of course. It’s hard to fit into a group early on if you’re struggling with your form too. That’s true in all football, all life really.

"He’s playing really well at the moment. We can all see what talent he has. He’s got the potential to become a huge player for Roma, for football in general. He’s a great guy too, though his Italian still needs plenty of work, so that we can be sure he’s understood everything we say to him! He’s a great guy though, and if he can improve a little more on that then it will help him progress even better than he has so far."

Score against Barca, and maybe you will pay for the team’s dinner...

"If I score a goal against Barca, an important goal too, then I’ll pay for the team’s dinner. I’ll take them out for sushi if I score, something cheaper like pizza if not. If I score against Bologna it’ll be tortellini for everyone, but we’ll wait on going out until after the Barca game."