Niccolò Pisilli scored his first goal wearing the captain's armband, a strike that came from just a minute on the pitch in the match against Slovan, and he was one of Roma's best players on the night. Speaking to Sky Sport after the game, he said wearing the armband was a huge honour, adding that many players who had worn it before him were missing from the match, so the honour fell to him.
Pisilli, a Roma academy product, said the team is growing quickly this season. Last year was the first under the coach, when the players had to absorb all of his ideas, whereas this season the squad starts with an extra year of work, which makes things somewhat easier because they know better what is being asked of them.
Pisilli said: "Per me è un onore, ogni singolo minuto giocato con la fascia è stato un onore. Oggi mancava tanta gente che la porta prima di me ed è spettata a me, è stato un grandissimo onore." Asked what he felt was new this season, both in himself and in the team, he said: "Stiamo crescendo molto come squadra quest'anno. L'anno scorso era il primo anno col mister e dovevamo recepire bene tutti i concetti. Quest'anno partiamo con un anno in più di lavoro e magari è un po' più semplice, sappiamo meglio cosa ci chiede. Cerco di mettermi a disposizione della squadra, di crescere con la squadra e di fare quello che mi chiede il mister. Quando c'è da attaccare cerco di attaccare nel miglior modo possibile, quando c'è da difendere cerco di aiutare in fase difensiva."
Story Coverage5 sources on this story
Roma beat Slovan Bratislava 4-0 at the Stadio Olimpico in the Champions League league phase, their first win in the competition this season. Outlets agree on the scorers: Mario Hermoso opened the scoring with a header, Nahuel Molina doubled the lead before half-time, Niccolò Pisilli made it 3-0, and Donyell Malen converted a penalty won by Wesley. Timings differ. GialloRossi.net puts Hermoso's goal in the 21st minute and Malen's penalty in the 58th, while TeleRadioStereo gives Hermoso's goal as the 22nd minute. Forza Roma reports Roma had 73 per cent possession in the first half.
Lorenzo Pellegrini left the pitch early in the second half with a muscle problem in his right thigh, and Pisilli took the captain's armband. He scored soon afterwards, his first Champions League goal. Quoted by Retesport and Forza Roma, he said: "Every single minute played with the armband is an honour." Forza Roma quotes Gasperini saying he does not think the injury is serious, though a muscular problem of this kind typically takes around 20 days. Gasperini also warned that Roma could become short of forwards if Paulo Dybala, who remains sidelined, is not back quickly. Roma News draws a parallel with Francesco Totti, who scored his first European goal as captain against Fiorentina in 1998.
Il Messaggero and TeleRadioStereo both report that a late Ghilardi goal was ruled out for offside. GialloRossi.net says Roma's next match is Saturday's trip to Napoli, coached by Allegri, at the Maradona.
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Testo Originale / Source Text
“Primo gol con la fascia da capitano: la notte contro lo Slovan, Pisilli non se la dimenticherà mai. Niccolò è stato tra i migliori in campo. Ancora una volta. La sua crescita è evidente. Dopo il match, ha parlato ai microfoni di SkySport. Ecco le sue parole. Che cos'è, un segno del destino, segnare…”
Read the full article in Italian at Forza Roma.