His words: “During those years in Europe with Roma, both the Conference League won and the Europa League final, it was impossible not to win. I am happy to have chosen Espanyol, I needed to play.”

In a revealing interview with Dressing Room Chronicles, the defender, currently on loan from Roma to Espanyol, (who may also be considering buying him out) and one of the best defenders of the Liga this season, shared his thoughts and experiences. Marash Kumbulla had this to say about his decision to leave the Capital and move to Spain following his recuperation from a cruciate ligament rupture: “Espanyol provided me with stability. When we beat Real Madrid, I could hardly believe it. The Real never dies, even when the end whistle has sounded, I remained tense because it seemed too good to be true. I’m glad I chose Espanyol. After the injury, I needed to play: after their call, I was here in a day and a half. The stadium and the sports center are two incredible and advanced facilities, something important for a footballer: they make you spend more time at the sports center, together with your teammates, and the group becomes more united. Having Barcelona nearby has shown me just how devoted Espanyol fans are to their team. They continually proclaim that “Espanyol is a feeling.” “The stadium is packed, there are numerous season-ticket holders with undying love for their team, our fans are truly devoted,” he asserted.

Reflecting on his years with Roma. “During those years in Europe with Roma, the years of the Conference League victory and the Europa League final, it was impossible not to win. The support was unbelievable, the atmosphere was simply incredible. “There was this storeroom keeper at Roma, his name was Roberto. He really made me laugh because I was on the bench, and he would turn around to us and say, ‘How can you not win with this atmosphere?’ because it was impossible, everything was sold out.”

Regarding the weight of the cost of the ticket. “In the beginning, I was young and didn’t think too much about what was happening, I just wanted to play. Then there were games every three days and there wasn’t much time to think. Now, looking back, I’ve gained a lot of self-awareness, and I have greatly matured tactically, technically, and physically.” “I’ve suffered an injury that somewhat stunted my growth and now I’ve come here to continue the development that was halted”. On the victory of the Conference League back home. “I never imagined I would win a trophy in Albania: ironically, we were in the Conference League final, and it was taking place right in Tirana, so it couldn’t have ended any other way! It was one of the most beautiful moments of my life as a whole, as it represents some kind of closure. Winning the first Conference League in Tirana, my hometown, then seeing thousands of people celebrating in Rome the next day, it was magnificent.”

On the Europa League final: “The second final, I had to experience it from the sidelines due to an injury, and unfortunately, it did not end well. It stung a little more than usual, both because I wasn’t available to play, and also because we lost on penalties… we all know how that went, that we shouldn’t have even gone to penalties. As for Taylor and that final? It was a hot topic in the locker room for quite some time. Sorry, there seems to be no text provided to translate. Please provide the text so I can help you with your request. It’s over now and there’s nothing more that can be done. I even remember now, during our celebration, I have a photo of me holding up a sign. It wasn’t meant to make fun of anyone but simply because it made me laugh so much. The sign read “Bad Air Shooting from Lazia”, with the word Tirana scrawled directly below. That billboard had me in stitches. And well… the fans in Rome are simply incredible! Your instruction seems incomplete, there’s no provided HTML text to translate or work with. Please provide proper information so I can better assist you.