by Leandro Paredes shed light on his decision to stay at AS Roma rather than return to Boca Juniors, in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport. The Argentine midfielder, a World Cup and Copa América winner, revealed that personal and emotional reasons influenced his choice to extend his stay in Italy.
“Since I arrived, I felt an immediate connection with this club. Roma is like family—two of my children were born here,” Paredes said. While his contract included a clause to facilitate a move back to Boca, he emphasized that his renewal was purely based on his own decision.
Paredes admitted that during Ivan Juric’s brief tenure as coach, he seriously considered returning to Argentina. “In those two months, I did everything I could to go back to Boca,” he said. Roma had even indicated that he could look for another club if the situation didn’t improve. However, the arrival of Claudio Ranieri changed everything. “He gave me confidence and brought me back into the team. That meant a lot,” Paredes added.
The midfielder spoke with deep affection for Boca Juniors, the club where he began his career. “Just talking about Boca gives me goosebumps. You have to live it to understand it.” He also mentioned his strong relationship with Daniele De Rossi, who played briefly for the Argentine club and encouraged Paredes to wear his iconic No. 16.
With Roma preparing for a crucial derby against Lazio, Paredes compared the match to the Superclásico, underscoring its intensity. He remains optimistic about Roma’s chances of securing a Champions League spot, stating, “We’ll fight until the end. To make it, we need to give 110%.”
