Roma goalkeeper Mile Svilar has extended words of encouragement to Tottenham Hotspur’s Antonin Kinsky following Kinsky’s challenging Champions League debut. Svilar shared his own experience, stating, “A similar thing happened to me on my Champions League debut.”
Ahead of Roma’s Europa League Round of 16 first leg against fellow Italians Bologna, Svilar took a moment to address Kinsky’s recent difficult outing against Atletico Madrid, where the Spurs goalkeeper was substituted just 16 minutes into the match.
“A similar incident occurred eight years ago when I made a mistake in my Champions League debut, and it took me several years to overcome it,” Svilar recounted to Sky Sport Italia. He expressed empathy, adding, “I feel bad for him, but I’ve seen him play many times, and in my view, he will become a great goalkeeper. This experience will only help him reach that level.”
Svilar clarified that his own situation differed from Kinsky’s, as he was not substituted during his debut for Benfica in a 1-0 group stage loss to Manchester United in October 2017. At just 18 years old, Svilar played the entire match despite his error.
Meanwhile, Svilar remains focused on Roma’s upcoming Europa League challenge against Bologna. He addressed concerns about Roma’s recent defensive form, noting, “It can happen over a long season. On the other side, we are scoring more goals recently, and our defence was solid for such a long time; it will go back to that.”
He also commented on the team’s evolution under Gian Piero Gasperini, whom he described as favoring “a more direct approach, without too many passes in defence, as we want to make our quality count going forward.”
