Lorenzo Pellegrini was the player chosen to take part in the UEFA press conference the day before Roma host Slovan Bratislava in the Champions League.

This is what the midfielder had to say:

How are you doing physically and mentally? You played your first match in six months against Como. What made you decide to sign a one-year contract renewal?

“I feel great. Mentally I'm calm and physically I'm working. Obviously not playing for so long meant I needed time to readjust. I've missed it a lot. I can definitely improve my fitness more. It was harder at the start because I wasn't on the same level as my team-mates who had done more work than me but we're continuing to work and I'm very happy, very relaxed. We have a fantastic group here. We train hard during the week and play even harder at the weekend because we have matches to win. We're in good shape and I'm in good shape. The one-year renewal was a choice the club made and I accepted. That's all.”

How do you deal with the pressure of having to win a game like this?

“The pressure is always there because you set out to win every game – to give your all and turn the match in your favour. There's pressure and it's nice pressure, pressure we're used to having week in, week out. So that's not going to change. The group hasn't changed: this has always been a very close-knit group that works hard in training so that we can play hard in games. It's a wholesome group where we all enjoy each other's company. We want to keep on improving as a team, not just as individuals.”

What was it like in those weeks when you were without a contract before the renewal?

“I was calm about it. My focus was on returning to fitness as soon as possible. I needed to start training, start moving and doing the things I needed to do. My thoughts were more on getting fit than anything else. I was calm because I was always in contact with the coach and the staff, with the idea of continuing together, which is what happened. As I said, at that time getting back to fitness was my main priority. Because without that, I couldn't just go and play somewhere else. If you're not fit, you can't play. At that time it was all about getting fit, which is what I managed to do. My priority was to stay here after what we'd built last season. We managed to do that in the end so I'm very happy.”

How important was the coach's desire to keep you on? Will you meet in the spring to discuss your future?

“The boss was crucial because at the start of last season it seemed almost normal that we would go separate ways. To be honest, it would never have been normal, but it seemed as if the time had come for me to move on and for the club to do their things. However, from my perspective, the first time I sat down with the coach last season, we immediately agreed on what I could do here with him, even though I only had a year left on my contract last season. I was always completely willing to come here every day and try to do what was best for the team, as I've always tried to do. We didn't talk about my contract in any depth. It was a period in which I wasn't in a good place due to my injury. I wasn't saying anything controversial earlier. As I said, I spoke to the club, the coach, the staff and my team-mates last summer and they all said they wanted me here. So it was very natural and very simple in some ways. The main thing for me was to get fit again, to be part of this team again, this fantastic team, and keep working to return to full fitness as soon as possible so that I could help the coach and help Roma. That's it.”

As a team, do you feel you can achieve something this season?

“What we want is to keep doing what we're doing, keep playing well in matches, because that's the most important thing. That's what helps you win games and keeps you at the top. We certainly want to be up near the top. We managed to do that last season. This season, after a year with the coach, it was a bit easier to gel even more. What we want to do is very simply go out there one game at a time and try to win every game, while continuing to work and grow as a team. I think this is a great team, a strong, united, calm team that works hard in training so that we can play hard in games and win them. That's our mantra.”

What's the atmosphere like? Generally speaking, and for this game against Slovan specifically, do you prefer to play as an attacking midfielder or a defensive midfielder?

“The overall atmosphere is calm and relaxed. We come in, we train and we work hard to prepare for our games mentally and physically.

“As for my position, first of all I play where the boss asks me to play. We all have our own skill sets. I'm never going to be a wing-back who knocks the ball forward and chases it. That's not one of my qualities. I'm more at home with the ball at my feet, but I must say the team as a whole helps you make the most of your qualities. Whether it's in the holding role or further forward, I think the main thing is finding the right space and the right time to receive the ball, and look forward to exploit the space you have.”