"When I saw I scored, I ran to the Curva Sud. The fans made a lot of noise and I didn't understand anything anymore. Something I can't forget" has told Amantino Mancini Gianlucadimarzio.com. "It was my first goal in Serie A, I couldn't have chosen a better way to do it". Against Roberto Mancini's Lazio, the man Alessandro Faioli Amantino owes the name he's now known with. "Toninho Cerezo called me like that. He played with Roberto to Samp, he told me I looked like him and it became Mancini from mansinho (mansueto)".
"I have a lot of trust in Di Francesco. He's a great coach but even in such a difficult time, he's the one to give your trust to. Last year, he's made the team play a high level offensive football, the kind of football I like. We need to start from him. The team's level is not as high as it was last year, under every aspect. The team lacks something at the technical, competitive and experience levels. I think the most difficult loss to overcome is Alisson's".
Problems on the pitch but there also are troubles in the club. Polemics have gone up to London about Totti's book, but Mancini dribbles these polemics as well as he did on the field, also because they're about people he had a great relationship with, Franco Baldini and Totti. "I respect both of them a lot. Baldini has been the first to believe in me and I'll always be grateful to him for that. He brought me in Italy when no one knew me. Francesco has been an amazing teammate, one of the strongest I've ever played with and a leader in the locker room. A timid and good boy, the symbol. Wherever you go, if you talk about Roma, people will talk about Totti".
He's now 38 years old and a coach. He respect the ones who "attack, always want to keep the ball in the offensive part of the pitch". He studies and follows the young talents. On Wednesday, he saw one he knows for quite some time have his debut with the Giallorossi's shirt, Luca Pellegini. "He's Roma's future left wingback. A boy who overcame two big injuries and that I like a lot". He's seen another one, live, at Bernabeu. "Zaniolo has impressed me. He's got technical skills and a great personality. If Di Francesco has made him start there, it means he already trusts him a lot".
Mancini will begin his Master UEFA pro course on Monday, the last step before becoming a coach for any category. The weekend comes first though, with a derby the former player will watch both as a coach and a fan. "Roma will win 2-1. Dzeko will score, maybe my friend Daniele too, another Roma symbol".
