Lukaku, Roma and the new nickname given to him by the fans

Jacopo Aliprandi and Chiara Zucchelli Wednesday 30 August 2023, 07:51 am

ROMA – The Oscar of the genius of the day wins it the owner of a shop who closed his shop and puppets yesterday after lunch and presented himself at Ciampino. Nothing strange, except that on the door he wrote: “Closed for Lukaku”. The takings could wait, the customers as well, the desire to go and witness the landing of Big Rom was too strong in the airport stormed by over 7,000 love-mad Roman fans. The weather gave rain (there was, very lightly, only at times), parking was a challenge (Appia and Appia Antica were clogged), seeing something was just as difficult, yet all those who were able chose to dedicate three hours of their life in Romelu Lukaku. And he, in his own way, thanked them.

Thanks Rome

I am 17.40 when the plane led by Dan Friedkin touches Italian soil. 9 minutes go by when Lukaku, in a total black look and white shoes, descends the plane’s steps. He puts his hand on his heart, gives the thumbs up, thanks everyone, parades among fans and journalists from half of Europe. In addition to the Italians there are English, Belgians and Americans but no one has a way of approaching the player: he stays on the track, the goals prevent any contact. It doesn’t matter to the fans: for them, especially for the hundreds of children present, the important thing is that Lukaku is in Rome. There will be time to embrace him: Friday at the Olimpico, even if he won’t play, unless the club organizes something first. Yesterday, immediately after his arrival, Lukaku went to Villa Stuart and then to a hotel in the heart of Rome, a stone’s throw from the Colosseum and the Circus Maximus. Roma are training this morning, Mourinho wants to see him immediately, he will go to Trigoria soon: photo with the shirt (number 90), signature (the Scudetto bonus is expected on the contract) and first official statements. Yesterday he limited himself to letting his emotions filter: “SI’m happy, seeing all these people was exciting for me, I can’t wait to play“.

Lukaku lands in Rome: greetings to the crazy fans at Ciampino

The ovation

With him neither the mother nor the children (they will join him) but a couple of friends and collaborators. Bringing everyone to Italy was President Dan Friedkin aboard his private plane, with light brown interior trim and gray seats. In addition to Lukaku and his team, all the protagonists of the London blitz were seated: the gm Tiago Pinto, the vice president Ryan Friedkin, the CEO Lina Souloukou and the woman of the accounts Anna Rabuano. When they got off the plane, there was applause for them too: some playful chants to Pinto (“bring us a goalkeeper”), an ovation for Dan and Ryan Friedkin, applause for the two professionals who were instrumental in making ends meet. When Lukaku got into the car to go to Villa Stuart, after a yellow and red scarf had been placed around his neck, the fans escorted him with mopeds and flagswhile when the cars of the owners and Pinto were intercepted it was difficult to continue.

Scene d’amore

Scenes of ordinary madness of a day that had nothing ordinary: the Giallorossi smoke bombs close to an airstrip, not exactly ideal, the cars unfortunately damaged by the fans who stood up to get a better viewthe children in the arms of their parents who asked: “Do we stay even if it rains?“, the kids with the Matic shirt which, thanks to a little ingenuity, became Big Rom, and the enormous media resonance of an arrival that, until a few days ago, seemed unthinkable. And, instead, it has been a reality since yesterday. At least for a year, that’s the duration of the onerous loan from Chelsea, Lukaku will be a Roma player. We’ll see. No one, right now, wants to think about the future. Because the present is too beautiful. And it will be for this reason that, in the end, the somewhat English-style rain, the perfect metaphor for Lukaku’s last weeks, gives way to the sun. Then when he takes the Appian Way to go for visits, the rainbow also appears. It could only end like this.

Lukaku arrives in Rome, fans go wild on social media with memes

2023-08-30 14:07:12
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