ALISSON NOT HAPPY WITH ROMA CHIEF

Former Roma sporting director Walter Sabatini has claimed that Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker is “still angry” with him over his early struggles at the Serie A club. Alisson made the €7.5m move from Internacional to Roma in February 2016, completing the transfer in July of that year. However, during his first season at Roma, Alisson found himself behind Wojciech Szczesny, who was in his second season on loan from Arsenal, in the pecking order.

Despite making 15 appearances during his first season, Alisson failed to feature in Serie A, with his appearances limited to the Europa League, Coppa Italia, and Champions League. Szczesny, who would later join Juventus permanently in the summer of 2017 for a reported £10m, remained Roma’s first-choice goalkeeper. This left Alisson frustrated, but he eventually took the reins after Szczesny’s departure, establishing himself as Roma’s starting goalkeeper.

Alisson’s breakthrough season came in 2017/18, where he made 49 appearances and earned widespread recognition for his performances, attracting the attention of Liverpool, who signed him for a then-record £65m fee in 2018.

Sabatini, however, recalled that Alisson was not happy with his initial lack of playing time at Roma. Speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport, he said, “Alisson is still angry with me, he never understood. At the beginning, I protected him; he had to improve in positioning and reading the games. And then we have always burned all the Brazilian goalkeepers here. I preferred Szczesny for this and he didn’t accept it.”

Ultimately, Sabatini’s approach worked out for everyone, as Roma maximized their profit when selling Alisson to Liverpool, where the Brazilian has since become one of the world’s best goalkeepers and won every major honor with the Reds.

Sabatini also played a pivotal role in Mohamed Salah’s rise to prominence. In 2015, he signed the Egyptian winger on loan from Chelsea for €5m, before making the move permanent in 2016 for €15m. Salah’s time at Roma proved fruitful, as he scored 34 goals in 83 appearances, which led to his £43.9m move to Liverpool in 2017. Since joining Liverpool, Salah has become one of the club’s greatest-ever players.

Reflecting on his first meeting with Salah, Sabatini recalled, “I went to London three to four times. I met him after 7pm for Ramadan, when he could drink. And I found myself in front of a real man, full of values, ready to sacrifice.”

Salah’s time at Roma also saw him play alongside club legend Francesco Totti, who Salah has described as one of his biggest role models. “Oh, the legend, yeah, Totti. One of my idols,” Salah said earlier this season. “I had the pleasure to play alongside him. He’s an incredible player. I didn’t play with him in his peak but you can see how much quality he has.”

Totti’s influence extended beyond the pitch, with Salah admiring him not only as a player but also as a person. “As a human being, he was a very, very good guy, so nobody will be a club’s king like Totti,” Salah added. “Never saw someone in my life have that much control and love in the city or on the club like him.”

Former Roma fitness trainer Emanuele Marra also revealed how Salah would take a football into the shower with him to continue practicing his skills and learn from Totti’s techniques. “At the end of training, I found them dribbling in the shower while they were taking a bath,” Marra said. “That makes you understand the passion and love they have for what they do.”