After firing Roma into the last eight of the Champions League, striker Edin Dzeko revealed that was what kept him from leaving the club in January.
His vital second half goal at the Stadio Olimpico saw off the threat of Shakhtar Donetsk and helped the Lupi progress with a 2-2 away goals victory.
He and his teammates rightly received a standing ovation from the home support afterwards as they booked their place in the quarter-final for the first time in a decade and helping them achieve that was what stopped him from joining Chelsea in the winter window.
“That standing ovation at the end of the game wasn’t just for me but for the whole team because we are deservedly into the quarter-final,” he told Premium Sport.
“I didn’t want to leave the club in January because I wanted to play in these kind of games and we managed to do something that the club hasn’t been able to do for 10 years.
“Being in the last eight with some great clubs is a source of great pride for us. I’m not even thinking about the opposition because everyone is strong but we are there because we are very strong too.”
Dzeko’s strike was his first in a Champions League knockout tie and also means he has been involved in six of their 11 goals in this season’s edition of the tournament.
