Europa League: Tammy Abraham set sight on another trophy with Mourinho
There are some players in the team who have experienced the Champions League, and we've won the Conference League, so it's nice to go through different competitions
Nigeria-born England striker Tammy Abraham seems to be thoroughly enjoying life at Roma. The former Chelsea striker made the move to Italy in the summer of 2021, helping his side win the UEFA Europa Conference League in his first season and finishing as the club's top scorer.
As his team prepare to meet Leverkusen in the UEFA Europa League semi-finals, the 25-year-old talked UEFA.com through how he has changed at Roma, José Mourinho's influence and his dream of back-to-back European trophies.
“They are a massive team. I've come across them before and know what to expect. They are playing great football and have an amazing coach and players. We know it will be a difficult tie and a difficult place to go, so we will have to bring our A-game and concentrate on ourselves”.
On aiming for back-to-back UEFA competition wins
“It would be a dream. When I arrived I said I wanted to lift a trophy before I leave, and I never expected it so soon. To see the joy from everyone around the city was amazing and the fans deserved it after everything they've been through.
There are some players in the team who have experienced the Champions League, and we've won the Conference League, so it's nice to go through different competitions. The Europa League is massive. I've known about it since I was a kid, and it would be nice to go all the way and hopefully lift the trophy.”
Speaking about Mourinho's influence, Abraham said,
“He expects me to work hard, to lift my team-mates and the fans, and that's when I play my best football. He's the kind of person who likes to focus on the next game, and if you think too far ahead you miss out key information and bits of detail. It has been a good season and hopefully we can lift silverware at the end of it.
“I've become more confident and have learnt a lot about myself. At Chelsea I was known as "the academy player", and I think coming here I've realised it's time to bring out my personality and show the world what I can do. It's been an amazing experience learning about a different culture and seeing a different area of life. It's something I'll treasure even more looking back when my career has finished.”
On perfecting his Italian, “Growing up I only spoke English. Coming here and seeing [Milan defender Fikayo] Tomori speak the language motivated me. Last summer we didn't want our mates to understand what we were saying, so we spoke a bit of Italian, and I think that's what inspired me a bit to learn even more.”
