Interview: Juan Manuel Iturbe on what it's like to score in a derby

Ahead of Friday’s Derby della Capitale, we talked to one of the recent heroes of the game about what it’s like to play a decisive role…

Juan Manuel Iturbe’s first day at Trigoria was in mid-July 2014. With the Rome summer in full swing – and it was a hot summer at that – Iturbe arrived by car along with his brother, holding his boots in his hands.

He couldn’t wait to get started.

And, indeed, he made a fast start to life at the club too. He even scored in his first Champions League appearance, against CSKA Moscow. He roared in delight at that moment – but then limped off minutes later, with the first of a series of injuries that would slowly come to interrupt his time in the capital.

That’s not to say there were not highlights. There was a goal against Juventus, in October of that year, that in different circumstances may have helped the team avoid a controversial defeat.

And then, the following May, there was the derby.

Iturbe and Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, goalscorers in a 2-1 final day win that sent Roma into next season’s Champions League - and denied Lazio the same possibility.

“What a derby that was – like a final,” Iturbe remembers.

It’s 0-0, the 73rd minute. Nainggolan plays it long for Ibarbo, who eventually puts the ball into the box. You get on the end of it and put us in front…

“I drove it home with my left foot, the goal was gaping. It was an incredible feeling. I took off my shirt, I was running all over the place. I threw myself on the ground, shouting at the Curva Sud. Incredible.”

You were close to tears of joy. Had you ever thought a goal might bring you to tears?

“No, I’d never cried over a goal I’d scored in my career. But Rome is different, Roma fans are passionate in a way you don’t really find elsewhere.”

What else did that moment mean for you?

“A desire to win, to help the team to achieve something important. We were in place to qualify for the Champions League in second spot, with Lazio just below us – if they won they would go above is. But they couldn’t do that, we won. And by doing so we qualified directly for the competition. Unlike now, back then there was a massive difference between finishing second and third.”

Scoring in such a game could have been the moment that everything turned around for you in Giallorossi. But it didn’t quite happen...

“The truth is it’s not always easy to play in Rome, for Roma. There is a lot of competition – we had a really strong squad, with a lot of talented players and it could be tough to force your way into the team.

"The following season things began well for me too. I had been supposed to go to Genoa, but in the end that didn’t happen – and then I scored against Frosinone in the third game of the season. Everyone know how thing eventually turned out. But that’s okay, Roma was still one of the best things that has happened to me in my life.”

Did that injury against CSKA Moscow affect your career?

“It definitely didn’t help because I was in my best form at the time – but injuries happen to everyone. They are part of the game of football and any player’s career. So it can’t be an excuse for me.”

Do you miss Roma?

“A lot. Other than it being a massive club, the city is amazing. Sooner or later I will do it, I will come back to live in Rome. It’s nice there, the quality of life is incredible.”

Do you still think about returning to play in Europe?

“In June my contract here in Mexico [with Pumas] expires. After that, yes, I will try to return to a club, either in Italy or Europe. I’m still young, I’m 28, so I still think I can contribute.”

Could you even make the move this month?

“Right now it’s not easy, the summer is more likely.”

Do you like Mexican football?

“It’s a tough league, I’ve always said that. Teams put in money, there is no lack of talent. There are some really great players in this league.”

How do you find life in Mexico City?

“It’s a really big city. I’m living here alone, my family are back in Paraguay. I try to be at the training ground as much as possible. I wake up in the morning, have breakfast and then go off to train. I stay there even after eating to go through the stuff I need to do. Then I go home, without going anyway else. Covid is here as well and you have to be careful.”

How bad has the situation been in Mexico?

“We have never been in lockdown, fortunately. Football stopped for two or three months. Here everything is closed, activities have been reduced to a minimum. We are waiting for the vaccine, hoping that it gets here soon. In the meantime we are trying to limit movement and other risks.”

If you are home a lot, are you able to watch much of Serie A?

“I watch almost all of the games, the time difference helps with that. I often watch Roma, of course. I’m really enjoying watch a team that plays really well, that could qualify for the Champions League. I hope they win as many games as possible from now until the end of the season. And I especially hope they win the derby.”

"Sooner or later I will do it, I will come back to live in Rome. It’s nice there, the quality of life is incredible.”

- Juan Manuel Iturbe