“Here we go (here we go).” This is the signal that journalist Fabrizio Romano uses to ensure that another signing is completed. Followed by millions of followers on social networks, be it X/Twitter (18.4), Instagram (23.5), YouTube (1.96, subscribers only), Facebook (13) or TikTok (8.5), in recent years, the Italian has become one of the main stars when the football world opens the transfer market.
He is currently 30 years old and since the age of 16 he has been dedicated to this particular segment of journalism – monitoring the market – and while there is the possibility of clubs hiring, he does not take his eyes off the screen. “There are days when it’s crazy, I’m on the phone 18 hours a day. As soon as the transfer market opens, I’m on my cell phone all day. At that point I don’t have time for hobbies or family, I’m always on the work. Fortunately, everyone around me knows that my work requires so much dedication and everyone respects that. Sometimes I sleep three hours, sometimes five. I never know in advance what will happen and what time I can go to bed,” he admitted in one of the many interviews he has given.
Until the end of this month – and probably for a few more weeks, as Saudi Arabia, for example, does not close registration until September 20, to the dismay of many European clubs who risk losing players without the option of replacing them… -, Fabrizio Romano will have no rest.
Only on Sunday did he announce the recruitment of goalkeeper Dean Henderson (from Man United to Crystal Palace for almost 20 million, while the Red Devils move to the Turkish Altay Bayindir), the Ghanaian striker Mo Kudus (from Ajax to West Ham, for 45 million ). €). The day before he had secured the arrival of the Spaniard Iván Fresneda to Alvalade and the signing of the Portuguese Beto (ex-Udinese) by Everton. And in between, he was still updating other pending deals, such as Manchester City’s stake in former Wolverhampton lion Matheus Nunes, for whom the Mancunians have upped the stakes to 60 million.
Naturally, Fabrizio Romano himself has become a star in the business. Born in Naples, he graduated in Milan (where he lives), but since he was 16, he said he knew very well which path he wanted to follow. “I realized at a very young age that I wanted to be a journalist, because I always loved football, but I didn’t have the level to play professionally. That’s why I immediately chose journalism. And I also had an experience on a small website, when I was 16, that made me realize that this was the right way to go. I inherited my love for football from my father Luigi, who was also a fan who always drew me to the sport,” he told Sporting News earlier this year.
And despite working or having worked with some major media such as Sky Italia or The Guardian, it is his tweets that guarantee him an income that, according to the Daily Star, is about a million euros a year.
Whoever stops loses
Despite being Italian (he also speaks English, Spanish and Portuguese in addition to his native language), he has already publicly stated that his club is… Watford, currently in the Championship (English Division II). “It’s been my club in FIFA and Football Manager games since I was 15. And of course because it’s owned by Italians. [Gino Pozzo, um antigo prospetor de talentos, filho de Giampaolo Pozzo, dono da Udinese]. I would like to return to the Vicarage soon [estádio do clube, que já foi de Elton John, entre 1976 e 1987]”, he confessed in 2019.
But, of course, it was in his native country that he began to distinguish himself and his first major ‘triumph’, the one in which he began to build his reputation, came when he announced the transfer of Mauro Icardi from Sampdoria to Inter. . He had known this for six months at the time of the announcement, but he waited the necessary time, even at the risk of being overtaken: he says he insists on respecting all his sources, because this is the only way he can get to trust him.
“Honestly, I don’t feel any pressure. I know that thanks to social media, every word of mine has a huge impact on football worldwide, but at the same time, I humbly believe that I am just a journalist and that football is just a game.” having power and being under pressure are people who have much more demanding jobs than mine. Being a journalist specializing in the transfer market is stressful and difficult, but it’s a wonderful job,” he emphasizes.
And it is the clubs themselves that recognize its credibility. As happened when Lorenzo Insigne moved to Toronto and the club published a tweet saying: “It won’t be official until Fabrizio Lorenzo says the magic words ‘Here we go'” to confirm the Italian striker’s arrival in Canada.
“When that happened, I stopped and thought, ‘It’s unbelievable!’ Five minutes later I moved on to the next news item. Anyone who quits is lost in the transfer market,” he explains, before revealing how he used the three magic words: “A few years ago I announced a transfer from Manchester United and after a month of updates I wrote “Here we go” as if to say that the deal was finally done, a good idea precisely because it was a suggestion from my followers and not a communication strategy or the suggestion of some agency. “
Source: DN
