Walter Sabatini, the former Roma sporting director, has made some candid remarks about his time at the club, particularly regarding Belgian midfielder Radja Nainggolan. In a recent interview with Corriere della Sera, Sabatini didn’t mince words when discussing the player’s behavior off the pitch.
“Nainggolan was perhaps the strongest midfielder I’ve ever had, but he was also a notable troublemaker, an ass****” Sabatini stated bluntly. He went on to reveal some behind-the-scenes details about how the club managed players’ nighttime activities:
“In Rome, I had a person whose job was to recover players who were out at 3 in the morning. They had to intercept them and bring them to Trigoria, put them in a separate locker room, make them take a shower, and give them coffee. This happened frequently with Maicon and Nainggolan.”
Sabatini also shared an interesting arrangement he had with Nainggolan: “Radja was obligated to call me at one in the morning, but he was really messing with me. However, he never missed a training session or a match.”
The former director touched on the prevalence of smoking among active players, suggesting it’s more common than people might think. He emphasized the importance of players staying connected with fans, saying, “I often tell my players to go among the people to feel the mood of the fans, maybe go to the market. And I think De Rossi has definitely done that.”
