Roma World No. 32: Amsterdam

Roma World returns this week with a trip to Amsterdam to meet Matteo, a Giallorossi fan whose travels have taken him to the Netherlands though his heart remains in Rome...

Name: Matteo Concutelli
Age: 31
City: Hoorn (small city next to Amsterdam)
Country: The Netherlands

Where did you grow up?

"I grew up in Rome until the age of 22 then I moved to Dublin, Ireland and now for the past four years I've live in Holland."

Why did you choose Roma?

"Honestly, there has never been anything else to choose from... I was born into an AS Roma family and (thank God) there was no other option!"

What is your first memory of Roma?

"One of the first things I can recall are the matches where Rudi Völler was our striker and Thomas Hässler our winger."

Who was your first Roma hero and why?

"My first hero was indeed Rudi Völler and that was for the crazy resemblance with my father ... it couldn’t have been better. Your father that looks like your hero - it was very cool!"

Who has been your favorite Roma manager and why?

"I have been through a lot of excellent managers. Everyone left his own footprint on Roma’s history but the one who gave me the biggest and deepest feeling has been Fabio Capello. Under his reign we won the league.....what a satisfaction!"

What has been your lowest point supporting Roma?

"I still haven't experienced any low points supporting my team. Supporting Roma can be compared to a love story: when you love somebody ups and downs are part of a journey. A Roma supporter never loses!"

Have you been to a Roma match and if so, what was your memory of your first game?

"I have been at the Olimpico so many times that I've forgotten the total count. The first game that I can remember was either in 1991 or 1992. I used to go every home match with my father in Tribuna Tevere. We had season tickets that were given to us by my grandfather as a gift for the both of us. Those were really great times!"

Where were you when Roma last won the Scudetto?

"That day I wasn’t at the stadium, I watched the match at home. I can still feel the thrill I had during those 90 minutes. At the end of match, I could not believe what was going on. I went with everybody downtown and partied the whole day."

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

"The amount of Roma supporters in Amsterdam is big. A lot of supporters live here but many fans from abroad come every week and join us locals to watch the match together. Every match it’s a big screaming party at the pub!"

Which team do you most enjoy seeing Roma beat?

"Every single win is a joy. 'Roma ha vinto' is the most beautiful sentence ever, but when we beat Lazio or Juventus I always feel especially good about that."

What makes Roma so special to you?

"I really don’t know. It is something unexplainable. It is a faith that you either have or you don’t. Thank God I was one of the lucky ones in the world to be part of this big family. Roma is joy, noise, togetherness and passion. Roma is one and one only."

What does Totti mean to you?

"Everything! My hero, my example, the one who never lets me down. For a lot of reasons I have been always fascinated with him. From that shy young guy who could, and still can, talk to the ball. For me he’s like a big brother or a long time friend. For me he's just Francesco!"

Who is your favorite current player and why?

"As I just mentioned before, Francesco is and will always be my hero. If I have to choose somebody else I have to mention Kevin Strootman. Our private ‘Lavatrice’, our fighter, our big star on the field. I hope that one day we will have a team with 11 Kevin’s on the pitch."

If you could meet anyone connected to Roma - past or present - who would it be and why?

"This is a good question. The past gave us a lot of excellent figures as players and people, but I like to live in the present and look to the future. For this reason, I dream to have a coffee with our President James Pallotta. To chat face-to-face and understand a lot of things and also give my personal opinion on what it means to be a Roma supporter.

"James, when you want I am here in Amsterdam!"

What makes you most proud to be a Roma supporter?

"The fact that I am a Roma supporter makes me already proud. To have Totti on my side, wearing those colors, knowing word-for-word all the songs at the stadium, going around the world and wearing that jersey with a huge smile makes me proud!

"To be a Roma supporter throughout these years gave me the opportunity to meet a lot of people and build solid friendships in the name of Rome. Here in Amsterdam we built a great fan base and are able to represent the name of the club for every match. Besides Amsterdam, I have also met many romanisti around the world, such as Daniele from Moscow, Sandro from Miami, Edoardo from Rome, Gerardo from Barcelona, and many more other members of our big family. And thanks to Roma we are a family!"

Finally, what would be your perfect day as a Roma fan?

"Talking about dreams - the perfect and priceless moment for me would be sitting on the bench with the players."

Twitter handle: @ASRAmsterdam

Facebook page: @amsterdamromaclub