Roma president James Pallotta has hailed midfield duo Lorenzo Pellegrini and Nicolo Zaniolo as the future of the club, following their Champions League victory over Porto.
At just 19, Zaniolo became the youngest Italian to net a Champions League brace as the Giallorossi won the first leg of their Last 16 tie 2-1 at the Stadio Olimpico, as his impressive maiden season form continued.
Whilst 22-year-old Pellegrini is a homegrown talent, Zaniolo arrived at Roma as part of a deal that saw Radja Nainggolan move to Inter in the summer, but Pallotta identified the pair as the bedrock of the club’s future.
“Guys like Zaniolo and Pellegrini are intelligent, mature and caring beyond what one might expect of young players,” the American told Sirius XM. “We are talking about players who I believe can be the future leaders of Roma.
“We played a great game as a team, even if unfortunately Porto managed to grab an away goal. We must not forget that our opponents have been unbeaten in 26 matches since October.”
Zaniolo has scored five goals in 22 appearances for the Giallorossi, whilst Pellegrini has netted as many in 59 matches.
