Jordan Veretout headed back to France, more precisely to Olympique Marseille, leaving Roma after three years in a move that had seemingly been in the works for a long time. The midfield shared his thoughts with Goal.
“We negotiated for a while. I was looking for something different and wanted to return to my home country. The last few months with the Giallorossi were challenging. I had to transfer to keep growing. When this opportunity materialized, I took it right away, especially knowing that I would play in the Champions League in a great stadium.”
The Frenchman fell out of favor in the first half of 2022 in the Italian capital.
“I had two-and-a-half high-level seasons there. I was happy and fared well on the pitch. Then, the last six months were complicated. José Mourinho rotated the squad, he started using different players and fielded Henrikh Mkhitaryan in a more defensive role. It’s always hard to transition from being a regular to backup. I had to adjust. I’m 29 and want to play. It was tough at first, but you have to accept it and prove to the gaffer that his choices are wrong in practice. I learned that the status of full-time stater doesn’t exist and that you have to compete and maintain the same frame of mind. I think I proved it with how I finished the season.”
Veretout revealed that the Special One would have gladly kept him at Roma.
“When Marseille came forward, I pushed to leave even though the coach wanted me to stay. In the end, he understood my choice, which I also made to be closer to my family.”
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