Roma fans pulled out all the stops as they welcomed Paulo Dybala to the Italian capital
The Roma faithful welcomed Dybala on Tuesday. © Fabio Rossi / AS Roma via Getty Images
Paulo Dybala has broken Cristiano Ronaldo’s Serie A shirt sales record, according to a report in Italy, amid incredible scenes in the capital as Roma fans welcomed their new superstar forward to the club.
Jose Mourinho’s side pulled off the audacious free transfer signing of the Argentine forward from rivals Juventus, reportedly beating the likes of Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur to the 28-year-old’s signature after his contract expired in Turin.
And the football-mad Roma fans have showed their appreciation for the move in more ways than one.
First, they made sure that Dybala’s new #21 shirt would be this upcoming season’s must-have piece of footballing apparel – smashing the 24-hour sales record established in 2018 when Cristiano Ronaldo moved to Juventus, according to the Corriere dello Sport.
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The report doesn’t indicate by exactly how much Dybala’s broke Ronaldo’s record – but it is sure to be good bragging rights for the Argentine, who played alongside Ronaldo for three years at Juventus.
But if that wasn’t enough to signal how excited the Roma fans are at Dybala’s arrival at their club, Tuesday’s scenes in the capital will have filled in any blanks when he was given a rapturous welcome to the club in a massive outdoor celebration.
Remarkable scenes 🤩 #ASRoma | @PauDybala_JRpic.twitter.com/PeSnglkWyN
— AS Roma English (@ASRomaEN) July 27, 2022
Dybala was presented to approximately 8,000 Roma fans who packed into the city’s Square Colosseum after which the clearly humbled star sat alone on the steps of the Palazzo Della Civilta Italiana to soak in the atmosphere at the Roma faithful sang his name and the club’s anthem.
Many tens of thousands more watched the ceremony online.
“The first thing I asked the coach was what we aim to win,” Dybala said at a press conference of his initial discussions with Mourinho. “I like to win, him too.
“Both Mourinho and the club have given me certainties, here there is great confidence and awareness.
“This is very important for to go forward and to pursue the objectives. I will try to give my best and bring my experience to continue winning.
“I talked a lot with the director, with the coach and with the president, knowing how this team is being built, I didn’t have many doubts.”
Dybala is set to make his debut appearance for his new side against one of Mourinho’s former clubs – and a team who were reportedly interested in signing him – when they take on Spurs in a preseason friendly match against Spurs in Israel.
