Fonseca: Football returning would be a boost for everyone

The Portuguese boss expressed his opinion that professional football players should be allowed to return to organised training soon, in preparation for the resumption of the 2019-20 campaign.

“Resuming playing right now would be important,” Fonseca said.

“We are all going through a tough time and I think it would help everyone feel a bit more optimistic.”

He added: “It’s hard for me to understand why we can go and run in a park, where there will be a lot of people around, but we can’t train at Trigoria – where we have everything in place to control individual training.

“We are prepared to follow all the rules in place. Our training centre has the best possible setup for this.”

How important would it be, even from a social perspective, for football to resume?

“Right now it would be so important. We are going through a difficult period and the club can help people forget that for a little while. I think that, with the fortunes of a team to dream about and invest in, every Roma fan in the city would feel a little more upbeat – forgetting for a while the issues we have right now.

“Here it is different to some of the other places I have coached. Here people are so passionate about the team. And right now I am even more proud to be here, because the club has done great work in the community to help during this period. That shows that there is a true connection between people and the club. That’s even more important than games and results.”

When you talk about Roma you sound incredibly passionate about the side…

“I am in love with Roma – but not just the club, the city too. It’s a unique feeling. I like this city a lot, I don’t need to say too much about it because everyone knows it is the most beautiful in the world. And I have to say that living here, with the fans, is unique. And then the club is well organised, there’s a positive atmosphere, there are a lot of great people working hard in so many different sectors. It’s not easy to find something like that, for any coach. I’m proud to be the coach of this club.”

How hard is it to win over the players when a new coach arrives?

“When any coach arrives, especially in a new country, it takes time to understand the mentality and the culture of the place. I had a bit of an advantage; we are all Latin, and the Italians are similar to the Portuguese in many ways. So for me it was a bit easier.

"Communication is important, to motivate players, and here I felt like everyone, players included, quickly bought into what I was saying.”

When did you first think you might like to come to Roma?

“The Portuguese have always followed Italian football and Roma are one of the clubs that I always liked. I first felt a desire to become the club’s coach when we faced Roma with Shakhtar here, at the Stadio Olimpico. The fans were incredible that night, the atmosphere was incredible.

"I thought then that I would love to coach here, in this sort of environment. That’s when the ambition was really born.”