Ahead of today’s high-stakes Serie A Round 5 encounter between Roma and Inter at the Stadio Olimpico, Radja Nainggolan has opened up about his departure from the capital while asserting that he remains capable of playing for either giant. Both Roma and Inter enter the 18:00 CET fixture level at the top of the standings, having collected 12 points apiece from their opening four matches. Looking ahead to what he expects to be a tough, physical battle between two sides committed to attacking football, the former midfielder made it clear that his exit from the Giallorossi was entirely driven by the conduct of former sporting director Monchi.
Nainggolan launched a sharp critique of Monchi’s management, accusing the sporting director of playing a double game behind the scenes. During transfer windows, Monchi would regularly seek Nainggolan’s advice on incoming transfer market dealings while simultaneously negotiating to sell the midfielder. Nainggolan explained that Monchi wanted to dismantle the roster constructed by Walter Sabatini to build a team of his own making. The director utilized the exact same tactic with star forward Edin Dzeko, whom Monchi attempted to sell to Chelsea. This dismantling occurred shortly after Roma had reached the Champions League semi-finals against Liverpool, a period when the players felt they were part of a great team capable of competing at the absolute top.
Despite no longer playing at that level, Nainggolan expressed absolute confidence that the prime version of himself would easily hold a starting spot in today’s Roma or Inter setups. He attributed this to what he views as a decline in the overall difficulty of elite football, claiming the game has become easier in terms of rules and general standard. After watching Roma take on Fiorentina from the stands at the Stadio Olimpico, Nainggolan admitted feeling a strong urge to pull his boots back on. He insists he remains fit and could still make a massive impact, whether operating as an advanced attacking midfielder or as an energetic box-to-box midfielder.
The clash between the two 12-point pace-setters comes amid broader activity across Italian football, as clubs navigate the final hours before the 8:00 PM deadline for incoming transfers. Roma enter the match in fine form following a commanding 4-0 victory over Lecce, a match where Manu Kone featured prominently alongside ongoing interest in Rowe. However, as the Giallorossi and Nerazzurri prepare to fight for top spot at the Stadio Olimpico, Nainggolan’s sharp retrospective highlights how executive decisions reshaped both clubs’ trajectories during one of their most competitive European campaigns.
