Why Paulo Dybala refused to wear shirt no 10 at Roma

• Paulo Dybala has explained why he will not wear AS Roma’s legendary No. 10 jersey for the 2022-2023 season.
• The Argentina international player has been given the number 21 shirt, the same number he wore when he was younger
• Dybala may make his debut for AS Roma on Saturday, July 30, against Tottenham Hotspur 

Paulo Dybala was given an opportunity to wear the No. 10 jersey for the club. However, the Argentine declined it out of deference to Francesco Totti, a legendary player for the club. Instead, he decided to keep the number 21 he wore while playing for Juventus for the forthcoming season.

Paulo Dybala signed a free move with AS Roma three weeks after his previous club, Juventus, allowed his contract to expire and will enable him to leave.

The 28-year-old player’s name had been mentioned in connection with several teams based in other countries, particularly Tottenham and Arsenal.

Paulo Dybala will wear shirt no 21 at Roma. Photo: Eurosport

However, he decided to continue playing in Serie A by signing a contract with Roma for three years.

The prospect of playing for a team managed by Jose Mourinho, who guided Roma to victory in the inaugural UEFA Europa Conference League final in May, is one that Dybala is looking forward to with great anticipation.

The offensive midfielder has already arrived in Portugal, which is the location of the pre-season training camp that the Giallorossi are participating in under the direction of coach Jose Mourinho.

Dybala is eager to help Roma return to the Champions League after the club won the Europa Conference League the year before. He recently signed a good deal for three years and has an option for a fourth.

So, why did Dybala turn down shirt number 10 and choose 21 instead?

Dybala did not want to switch jersey numbers because he is emotionally tied to the number 21, and he is aware of the responsibility and pressure that come along with playing for Roma in the No. 10 shirt.

“The director had suggested that I take 10, which is very important here for what Totti has done.

That shirt must still be his. I thanked them, because for such a shirt there must be respect and responsibility. ” Dybala said

Dybala disclosed that Mourinho called him and discussed his ideas, ultimately leading to his choosing Roma over other choices such as Inter and AC Milan.

When exactly will Dybala make his first appearance for Roma?

On the 30th of July, a friendly matchup between Tottenham and Roma is scheduled to take place at the Sammy Ofer Stadium in Israel.

However, since Dybala has only recently begun working out with his new teammates, it is pretty doubtful that he would play in any portion of that game.

On the other hand, Dybala did not mince words when he expressed his ambition for the club, which is to win a piece of hardware.

He is putting in a lot of effort to get back into shape, and it is more and more possible that he will make his debut on August 15 against Salernitana in a match played in Serie A.