Rudiger: Roma is passion

The German defender, who has racked up 30 appearances and scored one goal since joining the Giallorossi in the summer of 2015, has revealed that he is delighted with his time in the Italian capital so far, saying he feels very settled.

“Roma is all about passion,” the 23-year-old told Sport-Information-Dienst in an interview. “Rome is a great city, the weather is wonderful and the food is fantastic. The supporters are amazing too.”

You seem to be very happy here...

“It was tough at the start but I settled in really quickly. I’m delighted to be here.”

You also learnt Italian quickly. How important was that?

“Very important. I don’t speak it fluently but I understand a lot. My aim is to give my first interview in Italian after our last game of the season against AC Milan.”

What does it mean to a young player like yourself to go and play abroad?

“There’s nothing better. It helps you to grow. Plus I like to take new challenges in life."

Have you experienced any incidents of racism in Italy?

“Yes, unfortunately in one or two stadiums you do hear those monkey noises. Of course it hurts and you wonder why they do it. It doesn’t distract me, though. If I reacted to it then I’d be the stupid one, and they would get exactly what they want. You get idiots everywhere but we should just ignore them and not give them the attention they're obviously after.”

Roma are doing well at the moment and are close to qualifying for the Champions League. Are you looking to finish second?

“Of course we're keeping an eye on second place and I still think we can do it. Napoli are just four points ahead of us and we still have to play them in Rome.”

Roma have an option to sign you permanently. Is it important for you to know where your future lies ahead of Euro 2016?

“That's not on my mind. I have another seven big games with Roma before the season is out. What happens afterwards is out of my hands.”