Mats Hummels has officially begun his Italian adventure with AS Roma after joining on a free transfer following the end of his contract with Borussia Dortmund. The German defender gave his first interview as a Roma player to the club’s official channels, explaining his decision to join the Giallorossi.
Hummels began by expressing his excitement: “It’s a really important transfer for me and I can’t wait to live this experience. I can’t wait to play for this team, for this club, in front of the fans at the stadium. As a child, I grew up following Roma, especially Francesco Totti and my new manager. When I was younger, I played against Daniele De Rossi. I’m very happy to be here and to be part of this club.”
The German international elaborated on his choice to come to Italy: “I wanted to choose well. I’m really happy and 100% convinced. I didn’t want to find myself sitting a few weeks or months later thinking that maybe I should have waited. I’m happy with the choice I made and to be here now. Honestly, I needed time after last season. Emotionally, having left Dortmund after so long, after the Champions League final, it took a while to recover.”
Regarding Serie A, Hummels shared his curiosity: “I’m really curious to discover Serie A. Obviously I know the teams, I’ve faced them, I’ve challenged some Italian teams in Champions League and Europa League. I’ve played with the national team against Italy: sometimes it went well, other times less so. I’m very curious to discover the stadiums, the teams and the way of playing, the differences compared to what I was used to in the Bundesliga in recent years. It’s nice to still be curious about football at my age. I’m really happy to be here, I’m convinced that everything will go well for everyone.”
On his physical condition, Hummels concluded: “I’m in good condition. I worked hard in the summer, but playing football at a professional level is different from training at a professional level with the team and with other athletes. That’s why it’s difficult to answer, it’s a new situation for me. But, if I had to describe how I feel now, I’d say that after spending a summer holiday period, as always, I need a few weeks to be 100%. I think it will take 2-3 weeks to be really ready to play, then I hope to find really good condition. I will talk a lot with the technical staff, I will work hard, both on the field and in the gym. I want to be in the best condition as soon as possible.”
