Cristante previews Midtjylland test

 Here’s what our midfielder had to say:

Do you realise you’ve now become an absolutely indispensable player?

“As for being “indispensable”, I just try to do my best in every match, depending on the position and what’s needed at that moment. I do what I have to do and whatever the coach asks of me. Over the years, I’ve tried a bit of everything, so I definitely find it easier now to adapt to different roles. I’ve played a lot of matches in many different positions, so I know how to perform in each one.”

We’re enjoying a season full of excitement. I get the feeling that Roma fans have developed a new kind of maturity, knowing when to really believe and when to stay a bit more grounded. You’ve been here for many years. Have you noticed this change in the way people react to results in Rome?

“Yeah. This year we’re trying, thanks to the coach and the whole group, to understand that we’re having an excellent season, but at the same time, to stay balanced with our feet on the ground. It takes very little to change the direction of things. We’ll always try to keep going like this: working hard, doing what the coach asks of us and performing well, while always keeping our balance. Right now, we’re doing that very well and I think the fans have picked up on that too. They’ve understood that you shouldn’t get too carried away or get too down after a single defeat. I’ve always said how I’ve pushed this idea of balance for years because I think it’s fundamental in a season that’s so long and with so many matches.”

You were probably one of the players who could explain to your team-mates what Gian Piero Gasperini was like before he arrived. Compared to when you had him a few years ago, is there anything that seems exactly the same and anything that seems different or improved?

“No, the coach was exactly the same as he was when I left Bergamo.”
“Younger looking.” [The coach interjects]
“Even younger, I’d say, and even nicer!” [laughs]
“He’s the same coach from Bergamo. I knew fully well that he was a top coach who’d teach us a lot and that the important thing was to follow him, listen to him and all convince ourselves that he was the right person, the right coach to follow. The team were good at doing that from day one. There’s not much to say about the coach’s qualities. He’s always shown them, first at Genoa, then in Bergamo and now here as well. I found him exactly as I’d left him. Luckily.”

You’re one of the longest-serving players here and you were a protagonist in the Budapest final. Does that match against Sevilla give you extra motivation for this competition or is it something you try to leave behind?

“There’s definitely still a bit of disappointment left over from that final, but I think every season has to run its course. With all the matches we play, it’s already a lot to stay focused on the present, so we can’t get lost in the past. Having said that, it’s a competition we really enjoyed. We went so close to the finish line and we know how good it feels to go all the way, how exciting it is to play a final and how amazing it would be to bring the trophy home. So yes, we want to go far and do well because that’s our objective. We want to try to bring it home.”