Villar on season targets, turning points in his career, and more

On Wednesday morning Italian newspaper Il Tempo published an interview with Gonzalo Villar.

Here's some of what the young Spanish midfielder had to say...

What sort of moment is this for you right now?

"On a personal level, a very good one. To some extent, I expected it this season. From the very start, I wanted to become a key player for Roma; having managed to do that is great for me."

What is Roma aiming at?

"Now we’re third, we want to move up to second. Looking forward, we want to reach our objective at the end of the season - which is bringing Roma back to the Champions League."

And the Europa League?

"We are facing a strong opponent in Sporting Braga, who play in a league that we don’t know well. It will be a tough game."

Why can’t Roma seem to beat the top sides?

"Every game has been different. In one perhaps there’s an error, another time we don’t take our chances, another time we don’t shoot enough. Maybe there’s a mentality factor coming into play, as if our desire to beat a top team changes something in our mentality. We are missing small details. Juve scored with their first chance, for example. We’ve lacked that ruthlessness, but the Juve game was there for us to win."

What happened against Spezia in the Coppa Italia?

"We got it wrong that day. Maybe the derby was still in our heads. If we played that game ten times, we’d win nine of them and we conceded two early goals. We had chances to to score and make it 3-2 that we usually don’t miss, then in the extra time two players were sent off and the match became tough."

What can you say about your 5 Spanish team-mates?

"We have a Spanish-speaking family here, which includes Fazio and Pastore too. Borja Mayoral, Carles Perez and I are younger, but we’re all a family."

Is goalscoring your weak point at the moment?

"It’s true. In this position as a deep-lying playmaker, I don’t get many chances. I might play the ball out wide to Spinazzola and try to get into the box, but then I raise my head and can see Veretout already there, so at that point I halt my run! I sometimes say to him before games that we should rotate in that regard, but he never does!

"The truth is that I prefer passing the ball, it’s something I have inside me. If I see a teammate who is free, I pass him the ball, I don’t shoot on goal. It’s true that sometimes I should be more selfish."

In addition to playing well, you are also very demonstrative on the pitch, why?

"I’m passionate and expressive on the pitch. If I can’t tackle, I show my frustration with my gestures. I’m very expressive with my hands, I’ve been doing that since I was a child."

How did your relationship with Totti start?

“I met him by chance in a restaurant when I arrived in Rome, I was there with some friends and he was sitting at a table nearby. I asked him if I could take a photo with him and I think he didn’t know who I was. We then saw each other again and it was a pleasure. I enjoyed hearing his stories. My life has certainly changed in recent months."

In what way?

"People in Rome like me. I sense that because I get stopped for photos and people tell me wonderful things. There’s nothing like this in Spain with a city that is so attached to its team, not even Madrid. If you play for Roma, you are almost a legend."

Can pressure be a problem?

“No, it can’t. I’ve never turned anyone down for a photo because it was inconvenient, I’ve also been a fan, but sometimes I would like to be recognised less so I can go out with my friends. I like to live a normal life that any young man my age lives."

Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?

"Hopefully as one of Roma’s key players, with Roma competing every year for the Scudetto and in the Champions League. We’re thinking game by game now, but we have bigger long-term ambitions."

So you see your future at Roma?

"I’d like to keep improving here. There are some young players here who I think can form a team that competes for trophies as they mature. I’m thinking about Pellegrini, Zaniolo, Ibanez, Mancini."

And with Paulo Fonseca too?

"Yes, with Fonseca. I couldn't ask for anything more from him. He’s built up my confidence."

The national team?

"It would be a dream being called up again by the Under 21s and of course also playing for the senior team."

When did you realise a turning point in your career was approaching?

"I arrived in late January 2020, then there was lockdown, so it was tough without my family here and I stayed home alone for 2 months. When the league restarted, I played little, at the most 7-8 minutes at the end of matches. I didn’t think I wouldn’t have played. My moment came and I was ready to take the opportunity.

"Initially I only played in the Europa League, but I wanted to also play in Serie A. I played a great match against Parma and maybe that’s when I started to think that the coach might consider me to be a key player."

How’s university going?

"Studying helps you mentally. We have so much time after training and my parents have always encouraged me to study and not only think about football. Without them, maybe I would never have done it.

"I have to be honest, when you are playing for Roma it's not easy to focus on studying when you could just be playing on the PlayStation - and that happens to me too at times. In my first semester all six exams went well, the others not so good - so we’ll see for the upcoming ones!"