Aleksandar Kolarov Begins Life at Roma With Fighting Talk
Former Manchester City left-back Aleksander Kolarov has taken part in his first interview with Roma TV since joining the Serie A club this summer for £4.5m. When asked about his past, Kolarov was keen to address his previous time with Lazio, the club he joined in 2007 and spent three years with.
"I cannot, and do not want to, deny my past. But now I am with Roma and just as I gave 100% when I was at Lazio I will now give 100% and more for Roma. Lazio was a good experience for me, but from today they are my rivals on the pitch."
Kolarov clearly wants to live in the present, despite his previous allegiance to Roma's greatest rivals. The clubs share the Stadio Olympico, and the Derby della Capitale (Derby of the Capital City) is one of the fiercest derbies in Italian football.
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Kolarov also spoke about his relationship with former City teammate Edin Dzeko, with whom he won two Premier League titles during his duration at the club.
"Me and Edin [Dzeko] remained in contact after he left [Manchester] City. I spoke to him about Roma and he only told me good things about the club. I am pleased to have the chance to play with him again."
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When asked about the Italian League, Kolarov proclaimed he still followed the league, showing he doesn't forget his roots.
“Yes, because there were many Italians at City – we pretty much followed Serie A every Sunday. Now Italian football has returned to where it was before – it’s an extremely competitive league.”
Ending a seven-year stay with City where his career evidently peaked, Kolarov was arguably made at Lazio, so a return to Serie A is symbolic in a way. The cyclical nature of his career may see him retire in Italy, at 31 years of age, a 3-year deal with Roma may be the curtain call for Kolarov.
