Fazio on Batistuta, Perotti and his aims for the season

Speaking in the build-up to tonight’s clash with Cagliari, the 29-year-old defender stressed that the return to Serie A is a chance to prove to the world that the Giallorossi are even hungrier for victory following the midweek disappointment.

See what he had to say in this interview with the club's match programme...

What did Luciano Spalletti say to the team after the Porto defeat?

“The first thing he said was that we need to perform as well as we can in the Europa League, especially because the winners qualify automatically for the Champions League group stages. The league has only just begun and we have to give everything we have. It’s important we take each opponent as they come and treat every match as if it were a final.”

The Europa League is a competition you know well. What’s the best way to approach it?

“I’ve won it three times so I just hope this season brings the fourth.”

When you arrived at Roma, you said you’d joined the best club around. Do you still believe that?

“Absolutely. We have a great group of players here and we’re doing some fantastic work.”

Why did you choose to join Roma?

“When I was 12 years old, players like [Gabriel Omar] Batistuta and [Walter] Samuel were playing for Roma. It was the side that won the Scudetto – I watched the games on television and dreamed about coming to play here one day. It’s only a select few who make it in football and I couldn’t have imagined it would be me. This is a dream come true.

“My friendship with Diego Perotti also contributed more recently. We’re really close because we played together for seven years and that’s not something that happens often in football. I trust him and he said some amazing things about the club.”

You came to visit him in Rome last year, right?

“Yeah, Diego is a big part of my connection with Rome actually. The first time I visited Rome was back in 2009, with Perotti and another Sevilla team-mate who’s now playing in Argentina. I’ve still got photos on my phone from our trip to Italy – there’s one of the three of us posing in front of the Coliseum. Back then, the thought of coming to play for Roma was just a dream.”

You’ve got a big personality. What can you bring to a group with so many top players?

“We need to be competing on all fronts – it’s important that we don’t underestimate any competition. The season has only just begun and we have every chance of going all the way. Our ambition needs to fuel our will to win.”

What’s the secret to winning the title?

“Performing well and achieving consistency.”

On a personal level, what are your objectives for the season ahead?

“I want to keep getting better, do well in Italian football and succeed at a club of the stature of Roma. I’m sure I’ll be able to improve as a player at Roma.”

Is there a particular team-mate that’s impressed you above all others?

“[Francesco] Totti. He was my idol when I used to watch Roma play on the television. I would never have dreamt that I’d be playing with him one day.”

Your name – Federico Fazio – has quite an Italian ring to it….

“My grandfather was from Erice, a lovely little town near Trapani, in Sicily. He left for Argentina a very long time ago and was never able to return to Italy. My father and I went to Sicily a few years ago and met my grandfather’s sister, who still lives there. I have Italian blood in my veins.”