Primavera Profile: 6 things you need to know about Lorenzo Grossi

This week we’re getting to know the man who scored the decisive penalty in the Scudetto final against Juventus: Lorenzo Grossi!

1. “My first football memory is linked to some photos I have of the first time I went to the stadium. I was only two or three years old and my dad had taken me along for my first match. Obviously I don’t remember anything of the day itself – I don’t even know who was playing – but the photos represent my first steps in the world of football.”

2. “I supported Roma as a lad, as did my whole family. My first big idol was Francesco Totti, because he was at the peak of his powers when I was growing up and my dad used to tell me great stories about him. He’d always be going on about Totti, all through every game. He’s the symbol of Roma – the captain.”

3. “I’ve been playing football forever. I started playing when I was four and a half. I spent seven years at Vivace Rocca Priora, then went to Tor Tre Teste for two years before finally joining Roma. This is my sixth season here now.”

4. “I started out playing as a trequartista, then gradually I became a defensive midfielder and finally a centre-back. My strengths are my physicality and the way I can read the game in defence. That said, I think I can improve my passing and all-round technical ability.”

5. “Over the course of my career I’ve always tried to draw lessons from all the coaches I’ve had, but for me the constant support of my family has been the most important thing. My goal now is to make my first-team debut in a competitive match, establish myself in the squad and stay there for as long as possible.”

6. “My favourite centre-back is Sergio Ramos, because he’s always a step ahead of anyone else. There’s a real craftiness in the way he seems to know how a move is going to play out before it does. He’s a fantastic player – one of the first names on the team-sheet for both Real Madrid and Spain. In my eyes the greatest player of all time is Lionel Messi. He’s from another planet. Nobody has ever done the kind of things he’s been doing on a regular basis for years – and nobody ever will.”