Image: VINCENZO PINTO (AFP)
After the end of the Champions League, the round of 16 draw in the Europa League was good consolation for Red Bull Salzburg. For the first time in the club’s history, AS Roma will be visiting Salzburg tomorrow (6.45 p.m.). And the Romans arrive as the current winners of the UEFA Conference League.
In addition to coach Jose Mourinho, AS Roma focuses a lot on world champion star Paulo Dybala. The 29-year-old is thriving as a central figure in Jose Mourinho’s system. No player in Europe’s top five leagues has provided more assists in the first few weeks of the new year.
Dybala signed for Roma last summer until 2025. The Argentine world champion could still leave the club in the summer – and relatively cheaply. According to media reports, Dybala has had an exit clause for foreign clubs of only twelve million euros written into his contract. For rivals in Italy, it’s 20 million. Without this clause, Roma would not have been awarded the contract. The offensive star can choose how long he stays in Rome.
Dybala praises Mourinho
Mourinho lets the exceptional kicker play in his 3-4-2-1 alongside captain Lorenzo Pellegrini in a hanging role behind solo striker Tammy Abraham. So far, Dybala has only praised the star coach, who is also considered by many to be a defensive apostle.
“He helps me to get better every day,” said the creative man, who is thriving in fourth-placed Italy after things didn’t go well at Juventus in the end. In 2020 he was voted the best player in Serie A. Nevertheless, after five championship titles with Juve and 115 goals in seven years, it was not possible to agree on a new contract in the summer. The visitors of tomorrow’s Salzburg game are also happy about that.
Source: Nachrichten
