Leonardo Balerdi, who joined French club Marseille in the summer of 2020, has left the team on a loan deal with a mandatory buy option to Italian club AS Roma. The move was finalized in late August, marking the end of his six-year stint with the French club. In an interview with the sports streaming platform DAZN, Balerdi spoke about his complex relationship with Marseille’s supporters, calling it a “love-hate relationship.” He explained that he often felt both supported and criticized by fans, and he used these contrasting emotions as motivation to improve his performance on the field. Balerdi’s final match with Marseille took place on August 14 in a friendly game against Atlético Madrid at the Vélodrome stadium. During the match, he was booed by the crowd, an experience he described as difficult. He expressed that he did not want to end his time at the club in such a manner, highlighting the emotional impact of the moment. Despite the challenges, Balerdi reflected on his six-year career at Marseille, noting that it was rare for a player to remain with the same club for such a long period during his professional era. He explained that the decision to leave was partly influenced by Marseille’s financial struggles, which forced the club to let go of several players without being able to bring in new talent. Balerdi felt it was the right time to move to a new league and experience a different football culture. His transfer to AS Roma was welcomed by the club’s coach, Gian Piero Gasperini, who praised him as a “modern defender,” emphasizing his versatility and adaptability on the field. While Balerdi expressed happiness about joining AS Roma, he also acknowledged the sadness of ending his chapter with Marseille. He emphasized that he would carry both the positive and negative experiences from his time at the club into his future career, recognizing the role Marseille played in shaping his development as a player.