Mkhitaryan: Roma believed in me - I'm happy here

Henrikh Mkhitaryan is ready for his first taste of the Derby della Capitale this Friday, and he talked to LaRepubblica this week about his experience in Rome so far.

The Armenian reflected on the excitement he felt when he was told he would be moving to the club, and saw last summer’s transfer as another opportunity to showcase his world-class talent.

Mkhitaryan has eight goals and eight assists already this season in the league – something no other player in Serie A can match.

“It was a chance for me to show that I can still play at a high level,” Mkhitaryan said.

“Roma believed in me, and from how I’m playing right now I would say I’m happy here, don’t you think?”

With the derby only days away, Mkhitaryan admitted that he’s not one to look at lots of old footage to understand what it means to the fans.

A derby needs no explanation.

“I don’t like watching old games, I hear my teammates talk about them, but you don’t need many words to tell a player what it means. We’re ready for war,” he noted.

With the club changing ownership towards the end of 2020, Mkhitaryan has noted their increased presence around the club.

“[The Friedkins] are always close to the team, but the fact that Pallotta was never here doesn’t have to be some sort of excuse," he said. "We have to be ready for change, be that on the field or at the top of the club."

Lastly, Henrikh gave his thoughts about the Serie A, and whether it is everything he imagined when he arrived over a year ago.

“I think it’s underrated,” he said.

“People in England said that the level here had dropped significantly, but you can’t only judge a league by how many fans it brings to the stadium: right from the off I noticed a lot of quality on the pitch.”