“I know that in life, there are steps you need to take to grow. The way I spoke and behaved three or four years ago made me seem more superficial. I didn’t have experience and today I feel more mature.
“Everyone has regrets. On the one hand, I think that if I’ve reached this point, it’s because it was meant to happen this way,” Zaniolo continued.
“On the other hand, I know that in my career I’ve made a lot of mistakes also due to the excessive media exposure I received from the very beginning and the pressure I had to endure. Being on everyone’s lips at 18, in a city like Rome, isn’t easy. I’d challenge anyone not to get carried away. I was wrong to think too highly of myself. Many mistakes came from that. Now I recognise them, and if I could go back, I wouldn’t make them again.”
Zaniolo left Roma in the 2023 winter transfer window to join Galatasaray. He then played for Aston Villa, Atalanta and Fiorentina on loan, but failed to match expectations.
“Maybe from the outside, it wasn’t perceived how much I suffered when I had to leave Roma,” he claimed.
“It was and still is a club I love. I had a wonderful time there, and it was hard to part ways with the fans, the club and the people. Maybe I didn’t show it, because I prefer to keep things inside.”
The 26-year-old made his last Italy appearance in 2024 in a friendly against Ecuador, but aims to return to the Azzurri squad under new coach Gennaro Gattuso.