Argentine striker Erik Lamelatoday at AEK Athens but formerly of both Roma and Tottenham, spoke to the English match program in view of this evening’s Europa League match: “When I started to be part of the first team at River, Roma wanted me . I was 19 and it was a big move for me at that age. Now I have more experience and am more mature, but I was young then. Playing for a club like Roma at 19 years old and in a big league like Serie A was enjoyable. I was able to play a good number of games and score a decent number of goals, especially in my second season.”
What attracted you to move to Spurs in 2013?
“Many things. I liked the club and most of all the Premier League. I liked England as a country and it was a new and exciting opportunity for me. When this possibility came up, I didn’t think much about it. When I arrived in England, I didn’t speak a word of English, it was a challenge for me. But I saw it as an opportunity to grow as a player and as a person.”
He won the Europa League with Sevilla in 2023, against Roma.
“Yes, Roma was my first team in Europe and we played European competitions many times at Tottenham. I told my wife that I would never play against Roma, and the first time was against Sevilla in the Europa League final, which was incredible. But this is football. Many Roma fans were not happy with the fact that I was part of the team that beat them in the final. But obviously, despite having strong feelings for Roma, when I played against them my thoughts were only for Sevilla. Scoring in the final shootout was nice and we were obviously happy to have won the competition.”