Atlético de Madrid said goodbye to many players who have been very important in recent years this summer. Stefan Savic, Álvaro Morata, Saúl Ñíguez and Mario Hermoso are some of them, who ended their time with Atlético. The case of the Spanish defender was one of the most talked about, since it was known since the end of last season that he was not going to renew his contract with the red-and-white team.
After several proposals to increase his ties with the club, Mario Hermoso decided that it was time to leave Atlético de Madrid . For this reason, he headed to AS Roma , a team that acquired his services once the transfer market ended as he was a free agent. It was the Italian team that gave the left-footed centre-back a new home, who has had several problems finding his new destination after leaving Cívitas Metropolitano .
Complicated debut for Mario Hermoso
It was on September 2 when AS Roma officially announced the signing of Mario Hermoso to their ranks to reinforce their defence. A signing that many took as a demotion for the centre-back, who has left a Champions League team to play in the Europa League as a Roma player. However, all the factors were in place for him to wear the Roma shirt for the next few seasons.
And on Sunday morning, Mario Hermoso made his debut with De Rossi 's AS Roma , although not in the expected setting. Despite being a substitute, the Italian coach decided to gamble on his new signing in the second half following the injury of Alexis Saelemaekers . It was in the 49th minute, with the score at 0-1 in favour of the Romans thanks to a goal from Artem Dovbyk , when the former Atlético centre-back made his debut.
Despite having started his new phase in Serie A well, being solid in the duels and with good ball handling, Mario Hermoso was the protagonist in the draw. And Genoa managed to equalise the score in the 94th minute with a cross from the side where the Spanish centre-back was not accurate, being beaten by the finisher, De Winter . A play that will ring a bell for more than one person at Atlético de Madrid , as it is not the first time that Mario Hermoso has suffered in an occasion of this type.
Turn the page
The final result of the Genoa - Roma game was 1-1, which the visitors had been winning for the entire second half, but lost their way at the last minute of the match. Mario Hermoso will have to wait to get his first win as a Roma player, while Atlético de Madrid don't seem to miss him. The signing of Robin Le Normand , together with the increase in the level of the rest of the centre-backs, is nicely covering for the absence of the Spanish defender.
The only thing left to see is the performance of Clément Lenglet , who is still eagerly awaiting his first opportunity under Simeone . He is the most faithful replacement for Mario Hermoso , so he can be considered his most natural replacement. We will have to follow the match this Sunday at 9:00 p.m. very closely to find out if the Frenchman will make his debut with the club. Atlético , and if MarioHermoso could improve.