Florenzi: There are always obstacles, we just have to overcome them

While the winger admits 2017 initially went "terribly" for him on a personal level, as an injury sidelined for a long spell, he feels the past 12 months as a whole were positive for the club and underlined the progress being made.

That doesn't mean there were not lessons to learn, however, or improvements to make in 2018. Last year ended with a frustrating home draw against Sassuolo, a result that might just give the squad a little extra motivation heading into the second half of the campaign.

[Against Sassuolo] we tried until the very end but we weren’t successful," Florenzi said, speaking to the club's match programme.

"It would have been a massive three points, but now we need to get back on track straight away and avoid any more slip-ups. We cannot lose more ground.”

You made your 200th appearance for Roma against Sassuolo, another major landmark in your career. How much did that mean to you?

“Making my 200th Giallorossi appearance was an important milestone for me. I’m extremely proud to be part of Roma’s history and I will try my best to play many more games.”

Which one of the 200 are you most fond of?

“I’ll never forget the first, a dream-come-true for any kid who kicks a football.”

Roma aren’t in the best form at the moment, not scoring enough of the chances you’re creating and certainly not as much compared to the start of the season.

“It’s a tricky period and we’ve been firing blanks. We’re not missing any part of the puzzle, it’s just that sometimes we’re not able to do what we would like. We have to work hard in order to reverse this negative trend from the last two games. I’m sure that by sticking at it day after day, we can get out of this spell.”

You’re back in league action against Atalanta, far from easy opposition.

“Atalanta aren’t an easy team to face and they’ve caused problems for most clubs near the top of the table. They’re in great form, having knocked Napoli out of the Coppa Italia earlier this week. They’re a well-functioning and close-knit unit that have been playing good football for the last two years.

"Roma will need to produce something extra in order to get the victory, which would be vital for us.”

You could come head-to-head with Alejandro Gomez.

“This is nothing new coming from me, but he is one of their best players. It won’t be easy for the person facing him, myself or whoever the gaffer chooses to play there, but we shouldn’t bother too much about their individual players. We want to put in a great performance to start the new year in the right way.”

How was 2017 for Alessandro Florenzi?

“It started terribly, but I can say that it finished well because I got back to doing what I love most. I’m playing football again and I cannot help but be pleased about that. As a person, I always look for the positives in everything that happens in my life. There are always obstacles, but the important thing is being able to overcome them.”

What’s your overall assessment of Roma in 2017?

“It was a great year. We didn’t win the title, but we finished in second place and also topped our group in the Champions League. We hope to have a great 2018, maybe even going one step further than last year.”

Last year also saw the introduction of VAR...

“My goal against Sassuolo was rightfully disallowed. In my opinion, VAR will only benefit football in Italy and I hope football in general as well.”