Roma player Nicolo Zaniolo received death threats at the door of his home in the early hours of Sunday morning from around fifteen Roma fans over his possible departure in the winter transfer window.
In response to these unpleasant events, the midfielder opened up in a letter: "I was afraid and I felt abandoned".
"A lot of things have been said and written about me in recent weeks and many of them are not true," he added. Zaniolo also showed his affection for the club: "I arrived in Rome as a stranger and the fans welcomed me as one of their own. They gave me confidence, courage and affection in the terrible and dark moments of injuries.
"At the age of 23, I had experiences that many of my teammates don't go through in a whole career: falling, getting up, falling again, getting up again, winning. In the last few months, I have gone through a delicate period in which it was difficult to understand what my professional future would have been. However, I have always been committed on the pitch and in training with the utmost professionalism," he said.
In conclusion, Zaniolo showed his commitment to the 'Giallorossi': "For the first time, in the last few days, I felt afraid for myself and for my family. I felt abandoned. It had never happened to me before and I was very scared. The future is in our hands: I put myself at the complete disposal of Roma.