The new Giallorossi signing has penned a contract binding him to the club until 2030. “I`m here for Gasperini; his mentality captivates me,” the midfielder stated. His father, a renowned former tennis player, added: “Rome is the perfect city; when I played at the Foro Italico, I saw rivers of fans heading to the Olimpico.”
Neil El Aynaoui appeared with the same smile he displayed upon his arrival at Fiumicino two days ago. Today, for the first time as a new AS Roma signing, the French-Moroccan midfielder made his official statements following the confirmation of his contract with the Giallorossi until 2030.
“The welcome has been fantastic; I didn`t expect it. I`m here to help bring Roma back to where they belong. I thank the management for how efficiently they handled the transfer, and I can`t wait to start working with Gasperini. I closely followed his work at Atalanta, and I am drawn to his mentality,” El Aynaoui stated on the club`s official channels.
He also revealed the reason for choosing the number 8 jersey: “As a child, living in Barcelona, I supported the Catalans, and I always admired Iniesta.”
The reception for El Aynaoui in Rome was overwhelming, with ecstatic fans swarming him for selfies and autographs.
From Tennis to Football: Neil`s Choice
Neil`s move to Spain was due to his father, Younes. Barcelona was, in fact, the training base for the famous former tennis player, an icon of Morocco in the early 2000s. Younes boasts five titles, a career-high ATP ranking of 14th, and that memorable five-and-a-half-hour battle (ending 21-19 in the fifth set) against Andy Roddick in the Australian Open quarterfinals.
“My father never forced anything on me,” Neil revealed. “I tried tennis, but he understood that my mind was solely on football. I spent entire days with the ball at my feet, and he let me choose freely, just as he did with my brothers. Sometimes, though, we still play tennis together,” he added with a smile.
Neil was born in Nancy, but at the age of two, he moved to Gavà, on the outskirts of Barcelona, to accommodate his father`s training and travel commitments. It was there that young El Aynaoui developed an early passion for football over tennis, also thanks to the influence of Messi and Iniesta`s Barcelona.
Father Younes` Valuable Advice
Younes and Anne-Sophie, Neil`s parents, still reside in Spain but are well acquainted with Rome. In an interview with La Stampa, the former tennis player, a polyglot fluent in seven languages, reaffirmed the naturalness of his son`s choice for football.
“From a young age, Neil fell in love with football; we lived in a city that breathes football. He watched match videos while his friends watched movies, constantly informing himself. He also plays tennis very well, but football is his true passion. Even at home, all he does is play with the ball.”
Despite the differences between the two sports, Younes offers his son numerous pieces of advice: “First of all, on nutrition and how to become a great athlete. But most importantly, I told him that his goal must be to win the Ballon d`Or. If it doesn`t happen, that`s fine. But to be at peace with oneself, you must always aim to give your best.”
Undoubtedly, Rome is the right city. “When I played at the Foro Italico, I saw crowds heading to the Olimpico,” the former tennis player recounted. “Furthermore, my mother is French, but her surname is De Gubliermi: my grandfather emigrated in the 1950s from a small village near Vicenza and spoke only Italian. Rome is the right city for him; it`s a fantastic city, and the food is excellent, so I`ll come to visit him often.”
A Modern and Versatile Midfielder
Young El Aynaoui admitted he had never visited Rome before. “I`ve never been to Italy,” Neil confessed. “Before I left, they assured me Rome was a fabulous city, and it wasn`t a lie at all: besides being an incredible club, this is a wonderful place. They were perfectly right about my destination.”
Now, it remains to be seen if Massara`s assessment of the former Lens player`s qualities, who cost 25 million, will prove accurate.
“I would describe myself as a modern midfielder, endowed with good stamina and capable of playing in both halves of the pitch,” El Aynaoui explained. “I am always willing to give my utmost, covering wide distances with generosity and sacrifice. Before playing in midfield, I played further forward, so I`ve always had a good eye for goal. There are systems that allow me to get into the box, which, as I said before, I like and am good at,” he concluded.
