Roma World No.27: Montreal, Canada

Name: Giuseppe jos Recine
Age: 52
City: Montreal
Country: Canada

Where did you grow up?

“I grew up in Montreal and spent my summers in Italy.”

Why did you choose Roma?

“I’ve always loved everything Roman - passing my summers in and around Rome as a child as well as being an ancient Roman history buff.”

What is your first memory of Roma?

“As a kid I was in Rome and saw a bunch of sharp looking young men with flags chatting about AS Roma. I remember thinking how united they were. I was impressed with the comraderie.”

Who was your first Roma hero and why?

“My real personal hero was Bruno Conti - just for the enthusiasm he portrayed.”

Do Roma have a passionate fan base in the city you live?

“I am the founder and president of the Roma Club Montreal official AS Roma Fan Club with over 100 registered members. I remember being in Montreal’s little Italy, arguing with Juve, Milan and Napoli Clubs and then I decided to start the Roma Club. It took me several years, now we are a serious force to be reckoned with in Montreal.

“I am very proud of the club - we are the best, biggest, youngest, proudest fan club outside of Italy. We have appeared numerous times on RAI TV and have been told we were the biggest soccer fan club to appear on RAI.”

What makes Roma so special to you?

“The fans, the city and Totti.”

What does Totti mean to you?

To quote ancient Romans: ‘Loyalty, strength and honor’.

“Totti has inspired my son, Santino, at the age of 10, to attend a summer AS ROMA soccer camp at Trigoria and he watched Totti train very hard for two hours doing stairs, sprints, kicks. It was a great lesson for my son that to be a champ, you have to train hard. Today, my son Santino is captain of the U19 Serie B club Avelino Calio Primavera, This is thanks to Totti and his work ethics.”

Who is your favorite current player and why?

“Totti, because he is able to perform at all times despite having the pressure of the world on his shoulders. Throughout his career the team had challenges on and off the field but if he had been with a richer, bigger club, Totti would have had 600 goals and been a living legend.”

What makes you most proud to be a Roma supporter?

“Again, being part of a loyal bunch of fans that are always behind the team - even in our bad seasons we had strong support in numbers.

Follow Roma Club Montreal on Twitter at @asromamtl.