epa11832091 Paulo Dybala of Roma jubilates after the goal 3-1 during the Italian Serie A soccer match AS Roma vs Genoa CFC at Olimpico stadium in Rome, Italy, 17 January 2025. EPA-EFE/ALESSANDRO DI MEO

Paulo Dybala explains the difference between Juventus and Roma, how Jose Mourinho convinced him, and why he turned down a huge offer from Saudi Arabia. ‘These are figures that make you think.’

The Argentina international is out for the rest of the season with a serious knee injury, though he insists on travelling with his teammates and cheering them on from the sidelines regardless.

It is a sign of how embedded he has become in the Giallorossi squad, something that he did not expect when leaving Juventus after seven years, the club not even offering him a new contract.

“Juventus it’s a way of living, and on a professional level you grow immensely, because a draw there is perceived as a loss, so during the week you work hard in every aspect,” Dybala told Sports Illustrated.

“Listening to leaders like [Gianluigi] Buffon, [Giorgio] Chiellini, [Andrea] Barzagli and [Leonardo] Bonucci in the locker room definitely helps you grow. In so many matches, when we were on the tunnel before entering the field we could listen to the opponents and we could sense that many of them were thinking: Well, today we’re going to lose, but hopefully not by too many goals. That speaks of the greatness of the club.”

Roma call changed Dybala’s career

In 2022, after talks to join Inter as a free agent seemed to break down, Dybala received a phone call from Jose Mourinho at Roma.

“Everything felt really strange at that moment—the uncertainty of not knowing where I was going to play, what was going to happen or if I would have to leave Italy, which has practically become my home,” continued Dybala.

“I’ve been here for 12 or 13 years now, and honestly, I probably know Italy better than Argentina at this point. Of course, Mourinho is special—he’s a coach who has won everything, someone unique. I couldn’t just ignore his call. But I knew he was going to convince me, which is why I wanted to wait.”

They had several conversations before La Joya agreed to start a new chapter of his career in Rome, where he was presented at an iconic landmark in front of 20,000 cheering fans.

“It was one of the few times in my life where my legs were actually shaking a little,” confessed Dybala.

“We play football in front of 50,000 or 60,000 people, and that’s normal. But they come to watch a spectacle, to see the game. But at that moment, the crowd was there only for me. I didn’t expect that kind of reception. The fans truly surprised me. It was something beautiful, a unique moment in my life and career. And in that moment, I knew that I would have to work twice as hard to give back all the love they had shown me on that day.”

Why Dybala rejected huge salary

That kind of passion and sense of belonging is also why the Argentina international turned down what would’ve been a record-breaking salary to play in the Saudi Pro League, when everything seemed to be done and dusted.

“I won’t lie, these are figures that really make you think. But the truth is, I am very happy here in Rome and my family is very happy here too. My wife is a very important part of my life and her happiness is my happiness too, and if you ask my mother, she was the one who least wanted me to leave,” revealed Dybala.

“I’ve had a great career and the love I’m receiving from Roma, from the fans from the club, the owners and from the people in the streets, I don’t know if I’d get that anywhere else. When you put anything on the scale you have to go with what weighs the most, and that’s why we decided to stay in Rome.”