Aldair roars Roma on towards glory
Tuesday 16 December 2008
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Aldair wants Roma to think big (©Getty Images)
Legendary AS Roma No6 Aldair wants the current squad to "believe they can go all the way" to the final at their own Stadio Olimpico as they prepare to learn their fate in Friday's UEFA Champions League first knockout round draw.
Retired shirt
The 43-year-old central defender made such an impression in his time at Roma that when he finally left the Giallorossi, the No6 shirt retired with him. However, while the Brazilian is no longer a Roma player, he has lost none of his commitment to the red-and-yellows, and is eager for Luciano Spalletti's side to press on towards the final, which will be held in their home stadium on 27 May 2009.
'They should believe'
"These players did very well last year," said the Brazilian, who spent 13 years at Roma and remains one of their most loved former players. "If they hadn't come up against such a strong team [eventual champions Manchester United FC] they might have gone even further last season. But I think the players have a bit more experience this year – they should believe they can go all the way. It's always special to play at home. Roma have a very passionate set of fans and when things get tough they can always give the team a lift."
CFR defeat
Nicknamed 'Pluto' because of the similarity of his running style to that of Mickey Mouse's dog, Aldair was pleased with Roma's group-stage performance this year. Despite a tricky start, with a 2-1 home defeat against CFR 1907 Cluj, as they finished top of Group A to earn a tie against one of the runners-up from another section in the next phase of the competition in the spring.
'Crisis period'
"I think the crisis period is coming to an end," Aldair said, with Roma now rising up the Serie A rankings following a worrying run of results at the start of the campaign. "They need to try and finish the year strongly, then all this criticism will disappear. They had a few fitness problems at the start of the season. A few important players were missing and there were also players who arrived at the very end of the transfer window, and that made it difficult for the coach."
Roma icon
Having now settled in, summer signings like Jérémy Menez and Júlio Baptista are now showing their class, but as ever, captain Francesco Totti remains the star of the show. "Everyone knows he is a huge figure at the club," said Aldair. "He has always wanted to stay there, and when a player chooses to do that, of course the fans love him. And Roma need Totti a lot. We've seen this season how much Roma missed him when he was not there. Roma and Totti need each other."
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