Roma World No. 15: France

Name: Mehdi
Age: 30
City: Lille
Country: France

Where did you grow up?

"I grew up in Lille, where I’m born. But my father is from Morocco, and my mother from Poland, so I’ve always been very open to foreign cultures."

Why did you choose Roma?

"I’ve always been a football player myself. When I was little, I was playing left-back. The player I looked to as an example was a young player from Guingamp, Vincent Candela. In 1997, Candela left France to join Roma. I followed him, and that's how I discovered the club.

"I found everything I was looking for at Roma: how the love for the game mattered more than the results, the passion of the city, the fans and the style of play. I fell in love with the club very quickly, and I’ve been a huge fan ever since."

What is your first memory of Roma?

"That’s a difficult question. I think it is the first time I saw Cafu play. It was something else. In France, I did not have access to many foreign games, so it was a joy to see such a player at the time."

Who was your first Roma hero and why?

"Of course, my first hero was Candela. I wanted to be just like him. I even tried to have his haircut, though it was not a very good idea!"

Who has been your favorite Roma manager and why?

"My favorite Roma manager is Fabio Capello. Even if he left for another Italian club (which shall not be named), I was astonished by his tactical display. His 3-5-2, the way he made the team play, and, obviously, the Scudetto.

"I also have a great opinion about Spalletti. Even if we didn’t win the Scudetto, the way we played without a real striker, the way he made Totti and Perrotta work together, it was spectacular. I hope next year we’ll see something like that again, but this time winning the Scudetto!"

What has been your lowest point supporting Roma?

"Not so long ago, when we lost the Coppa against Lazio. I was destroyed by this defeat. I remember not speaking to anyone for a day or two. I just felt betrayed by some of the players on the pitch that day."

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

"My first game was a special one, because it was Roma v Atalanta on the day the Hall of Fame was launched. The attmosphere was excellent and I remember seeing all these legends. I cried a little bit too when Totti walked onto the pitch. It was a very special moment."

Where were you when Roma last won the Scudetto?

"I was in front of my TV, screaming and shouting. It was something really special."

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

"Yes! There’s a fan club called “Roma club Lille". The club won a lot of fans when we brought in Rudi Garcia, who came from my city (Lille) to Roma. There’s also a lot of Roma fan not so far away from me, in Belgium."

Which team do you most enjoy seeing Roma beat?

"Juventus. To me, they are our exact opposite. They are the big evil that you have in every movie. And we are the hero that comes in and beats them."

What makes Roma so special to you?

"Everything. I see myself in so many ways in our club. I found a club that allows me to be myself. I love the game more than the results and in our club, I feel like it’s the same. We had Zeman, who was a real teacher on this subject.

"I’m a very faithful person, and our club is too. As of today, we don’t find many football clubs worldwide where the three captains are from the city and have spent their whole career at the club. We are loyal because of the love we share for Roma."

What does Totti mean to you?

"Football. I've never known my team without him. Like many other Roma fans, I cried when he came back like a Phoenix these last few weeks, scoring a brace at the Olimpico. I couldn't believe that it was him. Again. Our Captain. Our hero. Saving us."

Who is your favourite current player and why?

"Francesco Totti became my favorite player around the year 2000, and he still is for obvious reasons. He is everything that is Roma. He is our Captain, he represents our club, and he has been with us every day for the last twenty years, fighting for our team and our city with everything he has.

"He is also an incredible player of course. He sees things that others don’t. When he is on the pitch, magic happens. He can score, pass, and above everything else, he makes his teammates better. I just can’t believe that at some point soon he won’t be with us anymore. I can’t believe that it will happen."

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

"I think that I’d love to meet our current coach, Luciano Spalletti. I’d love to talk to him about how he thought about playing without a proper striker, sharing ideas about the game and the way it has to be played… I’m a student of the game, so it would be an honour for me to share ideas with such a great tactician."

What makes you most proud to be a Roma supporter?

"Roma always stays true to herself. We don’t betray our own. We don’t change our image for marketing or results. We don’t sell players just for money. We are romantic, in a certain point of view. And I’m proud to say that we’d never sell our soul for anything. We are Roma, and we won’t change."

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

"My perfect day will happen next year, if everything goes as it should. When we celebrate our fourth Scudetto and the last day of Francesco Totti's career as a Roma player. That’s my perfect day. And I really hope that it will happen!"