Former Roma and Inter Milan midfielder Radja Nainggolan recently shared his thoughts on Italian football, his experiences at both clubs, and the upcoming Roma-Inter match. Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport from his home in Belgium, Nainggolan revealed he’s waiting for a call from a potential club, stating, “If it doesn’t come, I’ll quit. What should I do? I’m not begging to play football.”
Regarding the Roma-Inter match, Nainggolan acknowledges Inter’s strength: “Inter is the strongest. They play beautiful football, have great players even on the bench, who are essentially other starters. Yes, they are superior to Roma, also considering the moment the Giallorossi are going through.” However, he believes Roma’s home advantage could be crucial: “Because Roma plays at home, they have the best fans there are. And with those people, there’s an extra push.”
Nainggolan suggests Roma should focus on ball possession to challenge Inter: “Roma must seek ball possession. Like we used to do back then, when we often won against the big teams. Today, instead, nothing…”
Reflecting on the current state of Serie A, Nainggolan observes, “The current league level is lower, it’s much easier to play in Serie A now compared to 7 years ago. Look at how much younger the squads have become, now the technical aspect comes second.”
When asked about the best Italian player, Nainggolan names Nicolò Barella and Sandro Tonali: “Along with Tonali, yes. I see the former Milan player as even more determined, but Nicolò is among the best.”
Addressing the criticism faced by Roma captain Lorenzo Pellegrini, Nainggolan advises, “Pellegrini is intelligent. He’s a good player: he should think a little less about what people say about him.”
On Lautaro Martinez’s Ballon d’Or prospects, Nainggolan comments, “He’s strong, I noticed it already in his first year when he had Icardi ahead of him. He’s among the strongest in terms of quality. But to win that trophy you have to compete with people like Haaland, Mbappé, Vinicius… take the latter, he’s won everything… so, in my opinion, these come before Lautaro.”
Nainggolan expresses disappointment with Roma’s decision to sack Daniele De Rossi: “It was madness to send him away. He had done better than Mourinho, young, in love with and knowledgeable about the environment, they fired him without giving him time to integrate many new players.”
Criticizing American ownership in Italian football, Nainggolan states, “But they’re entrepreneurs, what do they understand about football? Not much, I think. They come, they want to make money, they buy young players, they spend but not well. You stay in the world of football with competence and passion. If you only think about business…”
