Romano: ‘I Chose Italy With All My Heart, See Strong Team Moving Forward’
Alessandro Romano confirmed his decision to represent Italy, stating he “wanted to play for Italy with all my heart” and believes the team is strong and progressing well.
The Cagliari midfielder started in Italy’s 3-1 win against Turkiye, his first start since the 2-0 loss to Belgium. This followed a mixed set of results, including a 4-1 defeat in Turkey and a 1-1 draw with France.
“I don’t think we played that badly in the first game,” Romano told Sky Sport Italia. “The result wasn’t what we wanted, but with many new players and a new coach, time to gel was expected. The key is that we responded well after that.”
Romano faced criticism after his debut against Belgium. He shared, “I’m lucky to have a supportive staff and teammates. The coach encouraged me to relax, and I think I did that today.”
The decision to switch allegiance from Switzerland, whom he represented at the Under-21 level, added another layer of pressure.
“I wanted to play for Italy with all my heart. It wasn’t an easy decision, and it wasn’t against Switzerland, but for Italy. I believe this can be a very strong team going forward.”
Romano, one of two Cagliari players in the starting lineup, adapted to a mezz’ala role during the match.
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