Nicolo Zaniolo hit out at Roma for unfulfilled promises and treating him as a capital gain after he joined Galatasaray last month.
Zaniolo left the Eternal City giants to join the Turkish Super Lig leaders for a fee €16.5million early in February.
The Italy midfielder had been expected to move on during the January transfer window, but he turned down a move to Premier League strugglers Bournemouth.
Zaniolo signed a four-year deal with Galatasaray after being left out on in the cold at Roma and the 23-year-old has pointed the finger at his former club over the way he was treated.
He told the Gazzetta dello Sport: I could talk for hours about unfulfilled promises. They [Roma] told me I was a spearhead, instead I ve always been considered just a capital gain.
For two years I was told that the new contract was ready. In January of last year I would have signed for slightly more than what I was earning, because I was fine in Rome and I knew there were problems with Financial Fair Play. After much talk I m bored. If I have to reflect on my farewell, I think others must do it too.
Look ahead!
— Nicolò Zaniolo (@niccolo_zaniolo)
Zaniolo was hurt by being called a traitor.
He added: It s something I m very sorry about. Roma gave me everything, thanks to Roma I won and I made my debut for the national team, my son was born there. Being labelled that way was a big blow.
Zaniolo continued: The truth will come out. I m just saying that I ve always trained, even if not with the others.
Much was made of a supposed fall-out between Zaniolo and Jose Mourinho, but the playmaker has no problem with the Roma head coach.
He s a great coach and a great person, Zaniolo said of his old boss. He made me play almost always. Sure, he s used to managing star players and I wasn t [one]. I would have liked to have him in four or five years, but he gave me so much anyway.
