The tears. Those of joy in Tirana, those of pain in Munich, those of sadness today. Leonardo Spinazzola bids farewell to Roma forever after five intense seasons. Full of joys, bitterness and rebirths.
the post
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He did so with a long, moving post on his Instagram profile that has already attracted many likes from the Giallorossi fans: “Dear Roman fans, it is with a mixture of emotion and sadness that I write this message to say goodbye. After an unforgettable experience, the time has come for me to say goodbye to Rome. We rejoiced and we cried, we celebrated and we suffered, together. Together we touched the sky in Tirana, together we got up from nights like the one in Budapest. During my time in Rome I also had the honor of lifting the European Championship with the Italian national team. I experienced moments of joy and pride, which will remain etched in my memory forever. But I also faced difficult moments. In those dark moments, I always felt your support. You gave me the strength to fight to come back stronger than before. Every time I stepped onto the pitch, I fought and sweated with all my strength for these colors.”
the farewell
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The reference is to the terrible injury during Euro 2020, the competition that Italy won and in which Spinazzola played at his best level, becoming the best player of the European Championship up to that point. Then the slow recovery, the return to the field but also many difficulties with some peaks such as the splendid performances with Salzburg and Feyenoord that allowed Mourinho’s Roma to play the second European final in a row. This year the performance has been inconsistent, a prerogative however of the majority of the squad. Thus the expiring contract has become a millstone, also weighing on the exclusion from the national team. After an initial phase of optimism, Roma has closed the doors to the renewal.
other choices
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The new course aims to lighten the amount of wages and lower the average age. So Spinazzola (31 years old and with a 3 million salary) waited until midnight yesterday and from today he is no longer a Roma player. And this time there are no twists like in 2020, when the exchange with Inter for Politano was blocked after the medical visits. The children Mattia and Sofia were born here, and his partner Miriam Sette also found herself truly at home here. “This city will always remain in my heart. I am proud to have contributed to the club’s path, to have brought Roma and Roma back to the biggest stages in Europe, to have given my all on the pitch and to have shared moments of joy and suffering with you. I would like to thank every person who has been part of my journey here. From teammates to coaching staff, club, fans. Each of you contributed to making this experience unique. Thank you for supporting me, encouraging me and making me feel part of your family. With love, Leo.”
future
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The next adventure could be Conte’s Napoli. Today, however, there is no point in thinking about it. Because as Kurt Vonnegut wrote: “It is the emptiest and yet the fullest of all human messages: ‘Goodbye’”.
