Former Udinese and Roma striker Abel Balbo says Roma are genuinely title contenders this season, and that Matías Soulé has become a leader on the pitch. Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport ahead of Udinese v Roma, Balbo described the match as the one closest to his heart, saying he became a man in Friuli, where he was welcomed like a son. He reached Udine thanks to a tip from Marino, who had come to watch him in secret in Argentina.
On Roma, Balbo was effusive. "Roma are very strong, really very strong. They have a solid group, made up of players with real backbone. Gasp gets the best out of them, they would throw themselves into the fire for him." Asked who had surprised him most, he named Soulé first, saying: "He has become a leader, he knows how to carry the team on his shoulders." He also singled out Balerdi as "the perfect player for a coach like Gasp."
Balbo believes Roma can win the Scudetto, although he acknowledged Inter are better equipped at present, both in their starting eleven and in their reserves. "Roma will play the role of the antagonist until the end. If the Nerazzurri slip up, they will have to be ready to seize the opportunity." He was less comfortable with comparisons to the Roma side that won the title in 2001: "No... go easy on the comparisons. That team was a different thing. We had champions in every department. I was the fourth striker, and in front of me I had Batistuta, Totti and Montella. We could only win." He credited that success to president Franco Sensi, "an enlightened president. There are no more men like him in football."
Balbo said Sensi had been the one who wanted him in Rome, and that he was infinitely grateful. He nearly joined Inter instead, but president Pellegrini did not sign him because of his poor signature, which he later changed. Sensi spent 18 billion old lire to bring him from Udine, and Balbo turned down many offers in the following years, including from Juventus, which he would not have accepted out of respect. He also recalled playing alongside a young Francesco Totti, who was already very strong. "We tried to reassure him and let him be calm. After Fonseca's injury he often played in partnership with me. I taught him nothing, you cannot teach someone like that, but I tried to make him feel at ease." He added: "If I had played with him years later I would have scored a mountain of goals."
On the fixture itself, Balbo said it would be "very physical, decided by details." Roma are chasing the Scudetto and must sustain their excellent results, while Udinese must escape the relegation zone. "It will require personality: the bianconeri are strong and have a good coach. A table like theirs is inexplicable."
Story Coverage2 sources on this story
Former Roma striker Abel Balbo believes the Giallorossi can genuinely challenge for the Scudetto this season, speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport ahead of Udinese v Roma. Both outlets report that he praised head coach Gian Piero Gasperini, saying the players would throw themselves into the fire for him. Balbo acknowledged that Inter are currently better equipped in both their starting eleven and their reserves, but expects Roma to play the antagonist until the end and to be ready to seize any Nerazzurri slip-up.
Roma News adds that Balbo named Matías Soulé as the player who surprised him most, calling him a leader who knows how to carry the team on his shoulders, and singled out Balerdi as "the perfect player for a coach like Gasp." Forza Roma describes the squad as a solid group "with balls", where Roma News quotes "real backbone", a difference in wording rather than substance.
Both outlets recall Balbo cautioning against comparisons with the 2000-01 title side, which he said had champions in every department, while he was the fourth striker behind Batistuta, Totti and Montella. He credited president Franco Sensi, whom he called enlightened. Roma News adds that Sensi spent 18 billion old lire to bring him from Udine, that he nearly joined Inter, and that he recalled playing alongside a young Francesco Totti. Forza Roma reports that he described the move to Rome as landing on a new planet and called Carletto Mazzone like a father to him.
AI synthesis of all sources below — always check the originals.
Testo Originale / Source Text
“Abel Balbo, ex Udinese ed ex Roma, ha rilasciato un’intervista a La Gazzetta dello Sport in cui ha parlato della sfida tra i friulani e i giallorossi. Di seguito le sue parole.
Abel Balbo, per lei Udinese-Roma sarà sempre speciale.“È la mia gara del cuore, sì. In Friuli sono diventato uomo, mi…”
Read the full article in Italian at Roma News.
