There are few voices in world football more trusted than Fabrizio Romano’s. With 43.4 million followers on Instagram, 27.4 million on X, and over 3 million subscribers on YouTube, the Italian journalist has become the de facto authority on the global transfer market.
With the Champions League final days away, the World Cup around the corner, and the transfer window opening soon, Romano sat down with Time2play to make sense of it all.
The following interview has been lightly edited for clarity.
Fabrizio, we are in the eye of the storm. The Champions League final is a few days away, the World Cup is around the corner, and the transfer window opens soon. So first things first: how’s your blood pressure these days, and are you getting any sleep?
Look, I’m not getting so much sleep, also because I see the tsunami coming. It’s going to be a really, really exciting summer. It’s going to be crazy, full of big stories, full of big transfers, and obviously on the pitch with the World Cup and also the big leagues ending now and the Champions League. It’s completely crazy.
So I think honestly it’s probably the most exciting moment since I started being a journalist. So for me, it’s incredible what’s next, but I’m also very excited looking forward to that.
You’ve broken thousands of massive stories throughout your career, but looking back, which specific ‘here we go’ moment did you personally enjoy announcing the most?
I would say the one I expected the least, and it was when Bayern decided to sack Julian Nagelsmann and to appoint Thomas Tuchel as the new head coach. Because at that point, it was March, I remember Bayern were doing fantastic. First in the Bundesliga, had just eliminated [Paris Saint-Germain] from the Champions League. So you never expected during March, in the middle of the international break, to see Bayern firing their manager.
So I remember when I got that information, I was like “maybe this is a rumor.” So I made a few calls, I was with my friends during the international break, and then out of nowhere, it was true and it was immediate.
So I broke the story and I remember the feeling at that time was incredible. Imagine, I spent six hours on my phone just chatting with people calling me involved in the story, other people from other clubs asking me “Are you serious? Or maybe they hacked your account?” So it was a crazy moment, and the satisfaction of breaking news that big, really my favorite.
Your post after Italy’s loss to Bosnia about your father and your nephews really resonated with millions of Italians. As the bridge between those generations, what do you think Italian football owes to the Italian people?
Look, my feeling is first of all sadness. I feel really bad for the situation, especially the new generations. You know, for me it’s obviously sad also to see, as I mentioned, my father not to see a World Cup anymore probably. It’s going to be tough. But the new generations, they don’t even know what it means.
I remember my best memories in life are linked to what happened with the Italian national team when I was a kid. I was thirteen, the world celebrating all together when we beat Germany, when we beat France, going to the streets, enjoying those moments. So it’s really important, I think, also as a person, not just as a football fan, to enjoy those moments.
My nephews, today they like football, but they don’t know what it means to be all together in front of the TV having that World Cup feeling. You can’t compare it with anything else, with your own club, it’s a completely different feeling. So I try to tell them, even when I speak to them, one now is maybe four, five, six years old, maybe the older one is eight years old, but they still don’t understand what a World Cup means. It’s a completely different world.
And so, you know, it’s really sad. It’s really sad because in Italy, we have four stars, so this shouldn’t happen. But to be honest with you, I’m optimistic for the future. I think we will learn from this one and I’m sure the coach will be the key to be successful again in the next one.
And who’s that going to be?
Good question, good question. I think it’s probably between Antonio Conte and Massimiliano Allegri. Maybe there could be a third name, a surprise, maybe a manager who is available and needs to negotiate with their own club, so maybe someone like Claudio Ranieri or so. So I would keep a spot for a third name, but among the favorites, I think it’s fifty-fifty between Massimiliano Allegri and Antonio Conte.
I can guarantee to you that Antonio Conte would really love to return to the Italian national team one day because he had that feeling that he didn’t close his chapter with the Nazionale in the best way. So I’m sure Antonio Conte is a candidate. Massimiliano Allegri depends on what happens with Milan, and then I would keep a third spot for a surprise name.
Who would you pick if you were given the keys to the Italian federation?
I would go for Antonio Conte. I would pick Antonio Conte because, in terms of mentality, in terms of building something incredible, he is the perfect manager at this moment, among those who could realistically be candidates.
If you ask me the candidate for the future and the one I would pick in an ideal world, it would be Enzo Maresca. Because I love Enzo Maresca as a manager. I think he has international experience, he’s young, fresh ideas. So he would be my favorite, but according to my information, he’s probably going to be the next Manchester City manager, so it’s impossible. But my ideal, ideal candidate would be Maresca.
On a club level, Serie A is very far from its glory days. What do you think is the one thing that the league must change as soon as possible to bridge that gap with the Premier League and La Liga?
I think there are two points. The first one is to try to understand that we can enjoy the game more and I think we are on that path, even if it’s not something you change overnight, so obviously it’s a process.
As they do in England. I follow a lot of English football and I feel that sometimes when there is a very open game and maybe you lose in the final minutes, they can criticize you for an hour, two hours, but not for the whole week. So enjoy, try to play football, don’t just defend because you could get criticised or you’re scared of losing two points. You have to enjoy what you’re doing, and in England that works a lot.
On the other side, we need to trust the youngsters way, way, way more. Because sometimes I still hear from people involved in the game. So it’s not about the fans, but people in the industry. When they sign a player who is maybe twenty-one or twenty-two, they might say, “Okay, but he needs six months, one year before he’s ready for the league.” And when you watch Spanish or English football, you see sixteen, fifteen, eighteen-year-old kids starting for the best teams in the world.
So we are scared of trusting our own players, and it’s not just about the Italians. It’s about young players in general. Maybe they sign them for twenty or thirty million and they don’t play them because they need time. For me, this is something absolutely crazy. We need to change the culture around that.
You mentioned Spain so let’s talk about Spain. I think it’s pretty much impossible to look at the current situation at Real Madrid and say it’s not a crisis. From your insider sources, how concerned are the players, and what changes can we expect in the locker room this summer?
Yeah, there is concern, of course. Then I think in some cases there is an overreaction. It’s Real Madrid, and when Real Madrid don’t win, you have a big media reaction. Now it seems like every day there are fifty problems. Obviously there are problems, as there are in every team, especially when you don’t win, but it’s not the end of the world. They understand at Real Madrid that it’s been a bad season, they need to rebuild, they need to change something, that’s for sure. But at the end of the day, it’s always about winning titles.
I think many of the things that happened this season always happened at Real Madrid. I know that for a fact. But then when you win, you forget about it, or maybe it doesn’t reach the media. Now it’s coming to the media because maybe a player is leaving and doesn’t care about leaking things. That’s part of the game.
But in terms of rebuilding, I think the manager factor is really, really important, and that’s going to change because Arbeloa is not going to stay. They need someone with a bit more experience and also in terms of leadership. At Real Madrid you can be the manager on the pitch and off the pitch, but the press conference at Real Madrid is not like any other club in the world. You need to handle the pressure, you need to speak to the press in the right way, and I think this was missing this season. You don’t remember an iconic moment where they controlled the pressure, where they put some fire to help the players understand where they are.
And I think in that way, José Mourinho is probably the ideal candidate. From what I’m told, Mourinho has very good chances to become the next coach*. It’s not done yet while we are talking, but it’s heading in a good direction. And Mourinho, I think, would be the perfect candidate in this moment for Real Madrid.
*Since this interview was conducted, Romano has confirmed that Mourinho will be appointed Real Madrid manager.
I want to run through a quick rapid-fire segment. I’ll name a club, and you give me the dream ‘here we go’ signing you’d personally love to see there.
Yeah, let’s do it.
Real Madrid?
For me the perfect player for them would be Vitinha.
Barcelona?
Probably a striker. I think Julián Álvarez would be the perfect fit.
Inter Milan?
At this moment I think they need a defender, a center-back. So in an ideal world, I would sign Ibrahima Konaté.
Juventus?
Juventus need quality. Bernardo Silva. Quality in midfield.
AC Milan?
AC Milan need a striker. They really, really need a top striker at the club. So a realistic one, or maybe a dream one, but look, if I was AC Milan’s director, I would go for Lewandowski.
And your beloved Napoli?
For Napoli, it’s a moment where I think they need to clarify things with the manager to understand how they really want to play. But I would bring in a winger who can be exciting, as Lavezzi was, as Kvaratskhelia was, as Insigne was. They need that sort of player to bring some more magic. Alisson Santos is doing very well, it was a good signing, but I would bring in a talented winger. So maybe Diomande from Leipzig.
We have a large following in the US, so it’s only fair to talk about the World Cup. Do you think this World Cup will finally be the trigger that lets football conquer the US for good?
Yes, for me, yes. Apart from what they will do in terms of results, I think this will help the whole movement. I’ve been there a lot in recent months, building the excitement, recording content from there, and finally, after being there several times, you can feel that they are waiting for this “soccer thing” to finally become their own thing. So I think it’s the perfect opportunity to enter into that mentality.
Obviously the arrival of Leo Messi already helped a lot, because now there is way more attention to the MLS and their games, but this World Cup will be the final destination of this journey and will open doors to the MLS in a completely different way.
I hope on the pitch they can do well. I think it’s not going to be easy. It’s been a tough season for many of their stars, unfortunately. It’s not been easy for Christian Pulisic at AC Milan and several other players. So that’s a shame, because it’s better to arrive in the best possible physical condition. But sometimes in football, when you go to the World Cup, it’s maybe better to go as the underdog, without too many expectations or too much pressure.
So that could be crazy, but positive for the US. It would be really, really exciting to see them doing well, because I think they truly deserve to understand what it means to be excited for soccer, and not just for their own sports.
Looking closer at the MLS, who is the next global superstar making that move?
Well, we have to understand what happens now with the free agents. They like to go for free agents, players out of contract who can be opportunities. For example, Lewandowski at the moment is fifty-fifty, probably between the Saudi league and the MLS. There is some interest from Chicago, but in the Saudi Pro League they can offer big money. So let’s see what he decides if he ends up leaving Barcelona, because at the moment it’s still not decided*.
And then, for example, they would like to go for Bernardo Silva, but I think Bernardo prefers to continue in Europe at this stage of his career. So it’s still early, probably. But I think bringing in a player like Antoine Griezmann is already fantastic. Griezmann is a Champions League semi-final-level player who’s moving to the MLS at a very good stage of his career, okay, it’s the end of his career, but not the very end. And those kinds of opportunities are the best ones for them. So let’s see who’s going to be next, but I’m sure there will be movement as always.
*Since this interview was conducted, Lewandowski confirmed his Barcelona departure on Instagram, corroborating Romano’s reporting.
With Italy out of the World Cup, do you have a soft spot for any other team in the tournament?
Look, I will support the Italians, and I would really, really love to see Carlo Ancelotti doing well with Brazil. It’s not quite support in the sense that you hope they win and you’d be sad if they didn’t, but I would be very happy to see Carlo Ancelotti doing well with Brazil, because he’s a source of pride for us. Everywhere he’s gone, he’s been winning titles, the Champions Leagues everywhere, from AC Milan to the world.
And so, for me, Carlo Ancelotti is a real source of pride, and to see him finally with Brazil performing well at a World Cup after a long time would be beautiful. So I hope they can be the big surprise.
And no football fan can be unhappy when Brazil wins, right?
True!
One last round. For each question, give me one name of a manager or a player
Let’s do it.
Who would you choose to cook you a real Neapolitan pizza?
Lorenzo Insigne.
Who would you choose to be your bodyguard for a day?
Ha, good question, good question. There are so many candidates, but… Gabriel Magalhães.
Who would you trust with a secret you can’t tell anyone?
Rodri. Very silent.
And who would you choose to do a road trip around Italy with?
Ha, good one. I would say Claudio Ranieri.
Which US city are you most excited to visit for the World Cup??
In this moment for me it’s really New York, because I want to see New York in a soccer-football way. I’ve always seen it as a tourist, so it’s been a different feeling, but to go into the streets and feel the soccer passion, as they call it, I’m really looking forward to that. So I will spend a lot of time in Miami and Los Angeles for sure, but I’m looking forward to seeing New York in a different way.
Thank you so much, Fabrizio. It’s been a pleasure. We’ll let you get back to your three phones and million messages. Thank you for joining us, and we’ll be waiting for that next “here we go.”
My pleasure, thank you my friend. See you soon.
