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Svilar explains why he stayed loyal to Roma over Juventus

·By Junior Yekini
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Svilar explains why he stayed loyal to Roma over Juventus

AS Roma

Mile Svilar has addressed Juventus's reported interest, saying he is not the type of player who signs a contract until 2030 and then goes back on that decision a year later.

The AS Roma goalkeeper was speaking to Corriere della Sera, and his answer came after Juventus were reported to have made a serious attempt to sign him.

According to Il Messaggero, the Bianconeri made two proposals this summer, one of about €40 million including bonuses and another that would have sent Teun Koopmeiners to Roma as part of the deal. Roma turned down both.

Svilar's response was blunt.

"I haven't even spoken about this. I'm not one of those who sign a renewal until 2030 and the following year fail to honour the choice made."

The Belgian-born goalkeeper, who plays for Serbia and joined Roma from Benfica in 2022, put pen to paper on a contract running to June 2030 in July 2025, when the club officially announced the extension. Juventus, who have been looking for a new goalkeeper after Michele Di Gregorio failed to convince, still had contacts over him at the end of June, but a quick deal looked difficult with his contract running to 2030.

Claudio Ranieri, then advising the club's owners, was credited with a decisive role in persuading him to stay in 2025.

His value has only grown since. He was named Serie A's best goalkeeper for 2024-25, when clubs including Bayern Munich and Galatasaray were linked with him, and last season he kept 18 clean sheets in Serie A as Roma finished with the second-best defence in the division and secured Champions League qualification.

Yet his rise was far from immediate. He spent his first season and a half at the club behind Rui Patrício, and José Mourinho rarely used him. That changed when Daniele De Rossi replaced Mourinho in January 2024 and, after a couple of experiments with Patrício, made Svilar his first choice.

Svilar has not forgotten it.

"De Rossi changed my life. Perhaps today I wouldn't be in Rome without him."

Since then he has not lost his place, and his stance on Juventus suggests he sees his future at the Stadio Olimpico rather than in Turin.