Malen: Como red was frustrating, but there was no intent to hurt anyone
Donyell Malen says he had “no intention of hurting anyone” when he was sent off against Como, but admitted the dismissal left him frustrated as Roma prepare to…
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Donyell Malen says he had “no intention of hurting anyone” when he was sent off against Como, but admitted the dismissal left him frustrated as Roma prepare to face Real Madrid in the Champions League.
“I’ve apologised,” the forward said. He described watching the rest of the Como match from the dressing room as “one of the most stressful experiences I’ve had in a long time”, adding that a red card makes a player feel responsible for what happens to his team. Malen called the game frustrating and disappointing, while making clear he did not mean to injure an opponent.
He was keen to separate that incident from Roma’s next challenge. “Tomorrow’s next match is a different matter. There’s no connection with what happened at the weekend. We’ll move on,” he said, stressing that the team must focus on itself rather than any perceived gap to Real Madrid.
The meeting carries a personal and wider significance for Malen. He said returning to the Champions League was one of Roma’s main objectives when he joined the club, and that the team had achieved that goal. Playing his first home Champions League match for Roma against Real Madrid, he said, would be “very special”. He described the occasion as a great night for the club and said Roma were massively motivated.
Malen also pointed to the importance of the home support. He said the fans can be a huge help, particularly when the team faces difficult moments, and credited the coach’s belief in him, his teammates and the club staff for helping him settle and perform. He also looked forward to seeing former Borussia Dortmund teammate Jude Bellingham, whom he called a special and immensely talented footballer.
Roma enter the Real Madrid game third in Serie A, with 14 points from six matches and still unbeaten. Their next league fixture is at home to Genoa on 17 October. For Malen, the immediate task is to put the Como dismissal behind him and contribute to a Champions League occasion he says the club worked to reach.
