Mkhitaryan: This city and these fans deserve more

The Armenian's 85th minute goal made all the difference, as Roma drew 2-2 with Spezia to qualify for next season's UEFA Europa Conference League.

A game of two halves, one salvaged in the second. And in the end the team achieved the one target they had left…

“Yes, but this isn’t the Roma we want to see. We started terribly in the first half and then recovered in the second and equalised – after that we could have won, we could have lost. In the end the point was enough to qualify for the Conference League. I hope the team can do much better next season. Games like this are so important.”

What’s been lacking this season?

“A bit of freshness, I think. Playing without a break for almost two years is not easy. And there’s probably a bit of experience needed, too. We have had a really young squad. But those are not excuses. We need to analyse it, study it, and look ahead too. I want to see Roma as high up the league as possible. With this city, these fans, this club needs to be at the top.”

It was a positive season for you though, with a lot of important goals and assists.

“For me it was, yes, but if the team had been doing better perhaps I could have scored even more too. But I want to thank my teammates for this season. We have had some good moments and some tough ones too. You understand what a side is really made of during the tough moments. We stayed united throughout it all. We won together and we lost together. I hope for better results over the next few years.”