Roma Club Paris: ''Our distance strengthens faith in Giallorossi''

Luca Marolla is a member and one of the heads of Roma Club Paris. He moved to France six years ago and could not help but join the original Roma Club in his city so he could always cheer and follow the Giallorossi, even from a distance. We interviewed him to learn about his feelings about rooting for Roma from another country. 

What is your role and what is it like to be part of the Roma Club in Paris? How did your love for Roma come about?
“We don't have presidents here. There are some people who have a little more responsibility, myself being among them, but we don't like to give ourselves titles so that we can all be on the same level.”

“Cheering abroad is much more complicated and stretches much farther. The passion does not change [with more distance]. It gets stronger because of pride; you feel like, especially here in Paris where we are faced with a multimillion-dollar team with all kinds of champions, you have to assert your traditions more. We may win less, but we are an exceptional fan base and our traditions are fundamental. I am from Rome and have been living in Paris for six years, so the passion for Roma was born in Rome when I was a child. When I was 15, I bought my first season tickets and, even today, I am still a season ticket holder.” 

What is the best memory of the club you have had so far?
“[The game where] Roma beat Barcelona 3-0. It was a magnificent game and we had a great time. Unfortunately, or fortunately, I was not there when Roma beat Feyenoord because I was in Tirana, but during the final here in Paris there were 250 people. We colonized a pub in the very center of Paris near Notre-Dame. Paris felt like Rome for one night.”

What kind of events do you organize as a Roma Club abroad?
“Last Saturday we had a tournament between the clubs in Paris, which was organized by the Liverpool club. There are 24 teams that for a whole day (from 8:30 in the morning to 6:00 in the afternoon) play in this mini tournament. It's a way to party all together. Also, we are the only real club here in Paris that cheers for Roma. We organize various activities during the year, always trying to pair the match with an outing or a dinner all together.” 

Have you been following this first week of preparation? What do you think about it? What do you expect from this new season?
“We are at the beginning both in terms of preparation and the market. We have to be confident. We can't wait to start again. We can't wait to see Matic at work but also Celik, too. Above all, I hope to see the big-shots at work, which we hope will come. For the new season, I hope to go from Tirana to the Puskas Arena next year and go to the Europa League final. I also yearn for the top four position. That would be a good match. For Serie A, I hope we can finally get back not only in the top four but hope for something a little bit more. Roma is back.”  

How did you experience the victory in Tirana?
“It was magical. I was among one of the lucky ones that won tickets in the ticket lottery, so we got to represent the club in Tirana. It was perhaps the first time I wanted time to pass slowly, after Roma vs. Leicester. I had feelings that had not been there for years; the idea that we could win something charged me up a lot and as a superstitious Romanist, I felt a good ending. It was magical and it gives you more desire to want to do it again.” 

Do you think Mourinho has changed anything since his arrival?
“He has changed everything. He has changed the minds not only of the players, but also of the fans and probably some managers. He has raised the bar. We don't play just for a placement anymore. We play to win and we play for the next game; with Mourinho on the bench, we have to win. If I say I would like to finish fourth, Mourinho wants to finish first. He considers second place to be last place. It's nice to have someone who thinks like that. Just look at how he changed Cristante and Ibanez. As for the others, I think this is the only year we have to rely on the coach. If in [Mou’s] opinion there are elements that are not needed, I trust him and I am fine with them leaving if that is what the ‘Special One’ wants.”