Roma World No. 18: Poland

Name: Dawid Janik
Age: 24
City: Krakow
Country: Poland

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Krakow, arguably the most beautiful city in Poland. My parents come from towns 60 km from Krakow and they moved there to study. I had the luck to spend all my childhood and teenage years in the city. Back in 1999, when I was
eight years old, football players from Wisla Krakow paid my school a visit and this is when I started to fall in love with football.

Why did you choose Roma?

In early 1990s my godfather decided to leave Poland and move to Italy to look for a job. He chose Rome, met his future wife there and settled down in the capital. Since I can remember, I was always spending summers in Rome, because being in Italy, going to the beach every now and then or simply exploring the city was an amazing way to spend holidays and I really enjoyed it.

One of these summers, in 2001, Roma won the Scudetto and the whole city went absolutely crazy. People were celebrating everywhere on the streets, they were chanting, honking the horns in their cars and on their scooters, dancing. Seeing all that, I was shocked. I realised how much the citizens love this club and how devoted its supporters are. I couldn't help it but become one of them.

What is your first memory of Roma?

My first memory is strongly related to Roma's 2001 Scudetto. After I saw all the celebrations on the streets, I became a fan of La Magica myself and I wanted to be a part of the Romanisti family. My godfather, seeing my growing interest in the team, bought me a small souvenir – a Roma wooden key lock. I remember how proud I was to bring it back to Poland.

Who was your first Roma hero and why?

I always looked up to Daniele De Rossi the most. His devotion, aggression, ambition and real fighter's character mixed with undoubted football skills and technique, make him an absolutely remarkable player. I like the way he plays, you can see how passionate he is about every game, especially for Roma. I find his dedication for the club highly impressive and exemplary, there are not many players in the world who love their clubs as much as De Rossi loves Giallorossi. Because of that, in every team I played (amateur 6 aside, futsal or Jagiellonian University's teams), I would always choose number 16.

Who has been your favorite Roma manager and why?

It is a tough decision, but I choose Fabio Capello. During his time at Roma, he built an amazing team, which not only won the Scudetto for the first time since 1983, but also scored the most goals and had the fewest defeats in the whole of Serie A. That was the team I fell in love with and it was largely to his merit.

What has been your lowest point supporting Roma?

I was really disappointed with the lack of scudetto in 2013/14 season. Roma played really well, Rudi Garcia made a great impression and it seemed that the fourth championship of Italy is at our fingertips. Unfortunately, we let Juventus outrun us, which was quite painful.

To be frank, another low point happened to me this season. I went to the Olimpico to see Roma's game against Torino, having high expectations and counting on our team to win decisively. To my surprise, it was not La Magica's evening and when Torino made it 1-2 in 81st minute, I was devastated. Little did
I know how Il Capitano could change my mood, it was truly a miracle.

Scoring two goals in two minutes, Totti made me the happiest person on Earth and simply recalling all these emotions and his unbelievable performance gives me real chills!

What was your memory of your first live Roma game?

My first game of Roma at Stadio Olimpico was in 2012/13 season. I was spending my Erasmus exchange in the capital and decided to visit the stadium with some friends to see the Roma – Udinese match. The first half was like a dream: two goals by Lamela, La Magica controlling the game. Unfortunately, then our players completely lost their concentration, let the rivals score three goals and lost 2-3.

Even though the result was far from being perfect, I remember how impressed
I was with the atmosphere at the stadium. All these chants and spontaneous reactions made me want to keep coming back. And I did – I also had the pleasure to see Roma matches with Chievo Verona, Manchester City and Torino.

Where were you when Roma last won the Scudetto?

As I mentioned before, in the summer of 2001 I was spending my holidays at my godfather's in Rome, as always. I didn't know much about football back then, especially about Serie A, so I learnt about Roma's great success after they won the Scudetto. I remember being out on the streets and seeing all these people celebrating the championship, hugging each other, jumping and singing. The whole city was covered with yellow and red, it was an amazing experience for me, a 10-year-old child.

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

Unfortunately, Krakow does not have any fan base that I know of. Overall, in Poland there are not as many supporters of Roma as, let's say, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Barcelona or Arsenal, which is understandable. I always felt original and special being a fan of a not-so-popular team, even though I got to know some people as passionate about Roma as me (greetings to Micek, Marcin S. and Kamil D.!). I am also a member of a Polish Roma supporters group on Facebook (‘Roma w PL’ - greetings to all of its members as well!), where we share information and rumours and discuss all the matters related to the club.

Which team do you most enjoy seeing Roma beat?

In Krakow, we have a strong rivalry between two oldest football clubs in Poland. As a supporter of Wisla, I always find games against Cracovia the most exhilarating in the whole season. It is no different with Roma – I get really nervous before each 'Derby della Capitale', because I know how much this game means to all Romans. The feeling of beating the eternal rival and ruling the city for the next months is simply irreplaceable! Games against Lazio are not only about football…

What makes Roma so special to you?

The people. I saw the passion they have for this club back in 2001 and I see it in every Romanista I get to know now and in every supporter I look at in the stadium too. You can become a fan of Milan, Juventus, Bayern or Barcelona because of all the titles they have won. But AS Roma is not nearly as successful as these giants, you don't choose La Magica, because you want to see your team in the final of the Champions League every year or winning the domestic league in March. Roma is much more.

What does Totti mean to you?

Francesco Totti is an absolute legend of football, one of the biggest artists of this sport in the world's history. He is a rare example of both a player and a supporter of his club, who's been with Roma for bad and for good. He's earned a great respect in the city, but deserves every single bit of it. Despite his age, he still proves that he's a genius who knows all the aspects of the game by heart. He's proven many times, even this season, that with one simple touch he's able to change the whole match. I am proud that one of the greatest football players spent his whole career in Roma and I'm sure he has even more in him! Totti means Roma!

Who is your favourite current player and why?

Apart from Totti, who in my opinion is a god of football, I really admire Radja Nainggolan. In my opinion, Ninja was one of our best transfers in the last decade. His strength, stamina and agility are absolutely world class. He never gives up, always fights for the team and has excellent skills both in attacking and defending.

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

There can be only one answer to this question – my dream would be of course to meet Francesco Totti. Il Capitano is one of the most important people in the history of Roma, but he is also a real, living legend of football. I enjoy the fact I could see him play at Olimpico, score all these amazing goals, make backheel passes and incredible assists. It will be a pleasure to tell my children and grandchildren stories about this legendary player.

What makes you most proud to be a Roma supporter?

What makes me most proud is seeing how players are devoted to this club. Roma is not only a work place for many of them, they become a part of the family and they understand it's not only about points and titles. It's not a coincidence that apart from Totti, De Rossi or Florenzi, who are all born Romans, also Nainggolan or Pjanić exhibit a special bond with the club, city and fans. In this sense, Roma is undoubtedly a truly special team.

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

I am a Sport Management graduate and I've been involved in football in many ways for some years now. Therefore, my perfect day as a Roma fan would include being 'inside' the team long before the first whistle of the game, helping with the media operations, having contact with all the players. The best way to end such perfect day would be to sit at our new stadium and see Giallorossi win a decisive game, to clinch a fourth Scudetto!

Follow Dawid on Twitter: @dawjanik