At a time when European football was losing its footing, with European stars rushing towards Arab millions without much thought — securing the financial future of several generations — Paulo Dybala appeared and said the long-awaited “NO.” A response that could literally change the course of history, influence many future decisions, and preserve the little football romance that remains.Perhaps such a decision had to happen in Rome. A city accustomed to injustices in football, but a place where loyalty has always been highly valued. Last night, in the hearts of Romans, Paulo Dybala stood alongside football gods like Bruno Conti, Giacomo Losi, Giuseppe Giannini, and the incomparable Francesco Totti.Dybala’s rejection of €75,000,000, which Al-Qadsiah offered him for the next three seasons, is today on par with Totti’s rejection of Florentino Pérez at the beginning of this century to become the crown jewel of the famous Galácticos and potentially win at least one Ballon d’Or in his career. He refused to be the biggest star at the biggest club on the planet, but in return, he became a symbol of loyalty and an eternal club icon. Someone who will always hold Roma in a special place in Italian and European football, even if the club itself, based on successes and trophies, doesn’t objectively belong there.##NAJAVA_MECA_8290475##Paulo Dybala has prevented Roma from becoming mediocre. From joining the ranks of teams without first-class players and great personalities. Those authorities whose mere presence on the field commands respect and gives a psychological advantage over opponents. There is no metric that can measure Dybala’s greatness after last night’s decision. The Olimpico will welcome him with ovations, and every stadium in Italy with applause. In the Apennines, such moves are especially appreciated. By deciding to keep his €6,000,000 salary at Roma, the Argentine clearly showed that every additional million is absolutely worthless if it doesn’t come with peace and satisfaction. In this case, also with the love that has surrounded him since his arrival in the Eternal City, showered on him by Roma fans at every turn.##EDITORS_CHOICE##Perhaps that love ultimately made the difference. When, after “the last” training yesterday, he left Trigoria, dozens of fans came to say goodbye to him, and when he got home, emotions began to surface. He sat with his mother and newlywed wife, who were never convinced that moving to Al-Qadsiah would be the best move for his career. After the match against Cagliari, Dybala accepted the offer from the Middle East, a private plane was ready to take him to Saudi Arabia, but by the afternoon, additional reconsiderations followed with his family and manager. Roma allowed him this time, as owner Dan Friedkin wanted to get more than the meager €3,000,000 in compensation. In the end, the indecisive American businessman could have freely stopped negotiations, as Dybala announced on Instagram: “Thank you, Roma. See you on Sunday!”Paulo Dybala was on the verge of leaving Roma for Al-Qadsiah, with fans turning up to the teams training ground to say goodbye to the Argentine 👋🥺Hours later, he posted on Instagram “See you on Sunday 😉” confirming he had performed a U-turn and was staying at the club 🤯💪 pic.twitter.com/bo7DvV1vou— OneFootball (@OneFootball) August 23, 2024 Two summers ago, Dybala had already shown that money wasn’t his priority when he agreed to a drastic pay cut to join the Romans. Roma’s fans repaid him with a spectacular welcome, never before seen in Italy, and another celebration is scheduled for Sunday (9.45 PM EAT), when Roma will host Empoli in a cauldron of emotions. The Roman crowd will come to bow to their new football deity.When he arrived in Rome, Dybala, like many players before him, didn’t dare to wear the number ten jersey, which is nowhere as heavy as it is in the Eternal City. Roma fans respected this move greatly, although since last night, a sort of petition has begun among I Giallorossi, who believe that the Argentine has now officially earned the right to wear the number previously worn by Roman princes Totti and Giannini.Dybala, like many of Roma’s greats before him, will likely not have the chance to challenge for the Scudetto with the Wolfess, and may not even play in the Champions League anytime soon. But he has succeeded in achieving what the fans in the Italian capital live for — emotions and football euphoria that will be impossible to extinguish in the coming days, and perhaps even months.FIGLI DI ROMA 💎💛♥️ pic.twitter.com/hOUvpLIESr— Paulo Dybala (@PauDybala_JR) January 12, 2023
