Paulo Dybala could have earned €75,000,000 over three years in Saudi Arabia, but he declined Al-Qadsiah’s offer and chose to stay at Roma. The Rome club had already come to terms with the departure of the brilliant Argentine, but a few days ago, he surprised everyone by posting a message on social media instead of a picture from a plane heading to Al Khobar: “Thank you, Roma, see you on Sunday.”And so it was, Dybala was in the lineup for the Wolfess’ match against Empoli. The Olimpico greeted him with rapturous applause; he played the entire match, but couldn’t help his team avoid a 2-1 defeat.After the match, the 30-year-old Gaucho talked about the unexpected result and his decision to stay at Roma.”I tried to treat this evening like any other when we have a match because I always strive to be professional,” Dybala began his interview with Sky Italia.La Joya hit the post in the fourth minute of stoppage time. It was the home side’s best chance to at least equalize.”Tonight, we weren’t able to execute what coach De Rossi asked of us. We have to keep working hard, and I hope the transfer window closes soon so we can know which team we’ll have for the rest of the season.”##NAJAVA_MECA_8290477##Against Empoli, Dybala played more withdrawn than usual.”Sometimes, I drop deep into our half to help my teammates build attacks. I feel better when I play in the final third, which I didn’t do often tonight,” the Argentine noted.And finally, he explained why he turned down the fantastic financial offer from Saudi Arabia and chose to stay at Roma for a much smaller salary of €6,000,000.”Most people only look at the financial aspect, but I don’t. I considered other priorities like family, my wife, the city I live in, and my desire to return to the national team. I’m 30 years old, I feel great physically, and I want to keep giving my best. It’s clear to me that when people hear about such large sums of money, that’s all they think about, but not me,” Dybala emphasized.Paulo Dybala last played for Argentina in March 2023. It was a friendly against Curaçao, while the last time his name was on the national team’s roster was in November last year in a World Cup 2026 qualifier when the Gauchos lost 0-2 at home to Uruguay.Empoli rain on Dybala’s Olimpico parade, Conte pushes Napoli to their first winSince Scaloni took over as Argentina’s coach, Dybala has often struggled with injuries; however, he was part of the team that won the World Cup in Qatar. Nevertheless, the coach left him off the roster this summer for the (successful) title defense at the Copa América. Scaloni stated during the roster announcement that his “heart breaks” for Dybala, but he chose other players for footballing reasons.”I was confident I would be in the team, so all of this is hard to take. I understand the coach had a tough choice and that it wasn’t easy for him to make the decision. We have many talented players in clubs across Europe, so I respect his choice,” Dybala said regarding his exclusion from the Copa América squad.🚨 Paulo Dybala: “I want to return to Argentina national team, I considered many things while rejecting Saudi offer: my family, my wife, the team, the city, my desire to return to the national team… “It’s not just about the money, though when you see those figures, you do… pic.twitter.com/RU0vZDp69V— All About Argentina 🛎🇦🇷 (@AlbicelesteTalk) August 25, 2024
