Matías Soulé speaks on Juventus not wanting him, relationship with Dybala, joining AS Roma

Matías Soulé spoke about Juventus not wanting him, his relationship with Paulo Dybala and joining AS Roma.

Soulé recently joined AS Roma from Juventus and the Argentine commented on the entire move. Speaking in an interview with Corriere dello Sport, with translation via Footitalia, here is what Soulé had to say about joining his new club:

“I wanted to come so much that I had tears at the thought it might not happen. I will prove on the field that I am worth the money the club spent on me. Being here is wonderful. The negotiation was long, and I was anxious about not being able to come, but everything worked out.

“The Friedkins wanted me strongly; I immediately understood their ambition for this club and where they want to take it. Now I’m here, in training with my new team, and I couldn’t ask for more. We’re working hard and with great intensity: we’ll be ready for the first league match against Cagliari.”

He also spoke about AS Roma coach De Rossi
“I have great admiration for him. He pushes a lot, is a great worker, and an excellent coach. I talked to him several times during the negotiation, and I must say he doesn’t only speak Spanish; he also has a great Argentine accent.

“He told me about Roma, how football is lived here, and during this training camp, he has been exceptional. He is instilling a winning mentality in the team and providing us with physical and tactical preparation that will be crucial for the season.”

Regaridng his relationship with Dybala
“For me, he is an older brother, a guide not only in football but in life. When I was younger, I saw him as a sacred monster, a player I couldn’t approach because I was in awe. Then we started to get to know each other, we clicked, and we developed a good relationship at Juventus. There’s an anecdote I’ll never forget.

“It was Paulo’s last year at Juve, and he was playing one of the final matches of the season. Fifteen minutes were left when I saw him talking from a distance with Landucci while pointing at me. Unfortunately, the substitutions were over, but Dybala had asked the bench to let me in because he wanted to play with me at least once before leaving Juve.

“It’s a memory that will always stay with me because it made me realize how much he cared about me and his esteem for me. When Paulo left Juve, I sent him the message, ‘I hope with all my heart to play with you one day.’ Fate’s jokes, three years later, here we are together.”

His experience in the transfer market:
“I was on vacation in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, when my agent informed me that Roma was interested. After a couple of days, that inquiry turned into a real transfer request, and on the same day, I received a message from De Rossi telling me he was waiting for me at Trigoria. That’s when the spark ignited.

“They wanted me so much that it was impossible to say no. The coach’s calls, then the Friedkins got involved personally, and the management made me understand how much they wanted to focus on me. Their desire to have me pushed me to consider only this opportunity, even though I had others in the Premier League.”

Having interest from from Premier League:
“Leicester wanted me a lot; both the coach and the sporting director called me to convince me of their project. But then I felt the affection of De Rossi, Roma, and the teammates who contacted me, and I decided from that moment to say no to all other clubs and think only about Roma for all these reasons plus one.”

His departure from Juventus
“A somewhat painful topic, especially for the first months of 2024. Because I didn’t think I would leave Juve, on the contrary, I was focused on playing well with Frosinone to earn a spot. But then in January, I learned they were selling me to an Arab club, but I had no intention of going there, even though it was clear what my future would be. I was disappointed because I thought I could play for Juve, but then I accepted it.”

Thiago Motta’s Influence
“He is a wonderful person. He has always been close to me, supported me, coached me, and given me lots of advice. Then he joked a lot with me: ‘You won’t leave here unless you leave 70 million.’ The truth is that Thiago wanted me to stay at Juve; he saw me fitting perfectly into his plans and attack. But by then, Juve’s decision had been made: I was needed to raise funds, and I accepted it, and at that point, I couldn’t wait to leave. I have no regrets about my experience at Juve, where I was very happy, just that unexpected farewell in January.”

The Argentine recently scored his first goal with AS Roma in a pre-season friendly match.