Roma World: The view from Brazil

Gian Oddi - editor-in-chief of digital media at ESPN in Brazil - was almost 30 when he fell in love with Roma but that didn’t stop the tears flowing when he commentated on Francesco Totti’s final game...

How did your love affair with Roma begin?

“I've always liked Italian football because my parents, grandparents and uncles are Italian. I started to follow Roma more closely in the late 90s, partly because of Francesco Totti's spectacular football, but also for the club’s relationship with the Brazilians, the way they play, the colours and the glamour of the city, which I visited for the first time in 1996. Then there was the incredible reaction of the Roma fans to the Scudetto. I lived in Rome for a year in 2002 and it allowed me to build a relationship with the team that amazed me because I was already about 30 years old. When I lived there, I went to almost every game at the Olimpico.”

What is your expectation for this ‘new era’ of the club?

“Totti's retirement wasn’t a surprise but it was still difficult. Hopefully he will become a great director at Roma. I liked the choice of Di Francesco as coach - for his work at Sassuolo, the content of his interviews and also for his past in Rome, something which I think is important at a club like Roma. My verdict on Monchi - so far, excellent sales, bringing in great value but his work will really be crowned when the less famous players he signs succeed.”

How did you find commentating on the match between Roma and Genoa on ESPN – knowing it was Totti's farewell game?

“I was a commentator at the World Cup; I have interviewed famous players from the world of football but this was the most exciting moment of my career. It was strange because I was on my day off, getting ready to watch it at home, when I was asked if I could cover the game.

“It was the best thing that could have happened. Although it was difficult to separate the emotion from the need to commentate impartially, I think we produced a very good broadcast. Paulo Andrade [co-commentator] and I received an unbelievable amount of messages congratulating us after the game, with many people saying that they cried. I cried several times on the broadcast, so much so that ESPN even put a video on the site. I have the DVD with the game at home, it's the only broadcast I asked for a copy of in eight years at ESPN.”

Roma has always been a club that has valued Brazilian players but who has been your favourite?

“The most obvious answer is Falcão, because of the football he played and his importance at the club but for me personaally it is Aldair. The reason is simple: in addition to being a very important player in the history of the club, he participated in the only Scudetto conquest I saw, and most of all, he had an exciting farewell at the Olimpico in which I was present. It was amazing to see Roma fans fill the stadium like that, in a year when Roma had gone bad in the championship.”

Are you proud that your favourite club has dedicated Portuguese-language social media accounts on Twitter and Facebook for Roma fans in Brazil?

“I think it's cool what Roma is doing. In Brazil, specifically, I believe there is a good margin of growth for Roma fans, as there is a lot that connects Roma and Brazilians. Having Portuguese-language channels is a huge step to help with this growth. But, of course, nothing helps growth as much as results on the field and titles won.”

Click here to follow Gian Oddi on Twitter.