Dzeko: “I play for Roma, not for the captain’s armband. And for this shirt I will always give everything”

He scored the decisive goal, the thirtieth in Europe with the Roma. On the qualification for the semifinals there is the imprint of the usual Edin Dzeko. Here are his words at the end of the game.

DZEKO A SKY

Did you say “We are stronger guys” after the goal?
In the end we made it, this is more important than everything. We suffered for 180 ′ but the team showed character especially after the 1-0. In the past we gave up, today we all ran to the end and we deserved the semifinal.

On the goal Cristante does not get rid of the ball but restarts the action. Then there is a play by 18-year-old Calafiori and your experience.
You have to stay where the ball goes. At 35 I do one less race. The ball landed where I was. We had to do that action also in other situations that we have not done. I’m also happy for Calafiori, he didn’t play much and was decisive in the quarterfinals against Ajax.

Now there will be the charm of facing Manchester. Can this Rome play on an equal footing?
We made it to the semifinals, so yes. We didn’t have an easy path, we faced all strong teams. Now another strong team with a big name awaits us. We are Roma and we have to give everything to get to the final.

In the semifinal with Liverpool and in today’s match there is only one thing in common: Edin Dzeko. Do you feel Rome?
Luckily I was on the pitch then (laughs): This is my sixth year here. There were so many ups and downs this season, I wasn’t at my best on a personal level for so many things. I don’t like looking back, what happened happened. We need to look ahead. We are in the semifinals, many did not expect it. We have to have fun, we don’t play Old Trafford every week.

Without taking anything away from Pellegrini, would you like to wear that headband again? What does it mean for you?
As I always said, the band is an honor. I play for Roma, not for the wing. If I’m on the pitch, I give everything for Roma, today and in the future, as in the past. Only this counts.

How important is it to stay in Rome next year?
It’s hard to think about it now. We have a semi-final to play and eight more games to play. Then we see.

How complicated could it have been to have to stop the engine and restart it mentally?
It’s hard, you know better than anyone that you played at high levels (to Ambrosini, ed): Some things were difficult to accept. I have always been strong in my head, I could not have reached this level if it had been the other way around. This has always carried me forward. I never go back, but the important thing is Roma, not the band or Dzeko.

DZEKO A ROMA TV

You signed up for it tonight
After the Champions League semifinal, we reached another semifinal. It’s great for clubs, players and fans. We are happy to play the final with Manchester.

You are more and more in the history of Rome
I’m happy, today’s goal brought us to the semifinal. Unfortunately there were no fans, it would have been another great evening with them. We don’t always get there in the semifinals. We hope they will come back soon, Roma needs them.

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