Done Deal
GREATER GOOD
Roma use Davide Zappacosta announcement video to make brilliant plea to help find missing children
ROMA confirmed the loan signing of Davide Zappacosta - and used the announcement video to help find missing children.
The Chelsea right-back, 27, has joined until the end of January with the Italian not part of Frank Lampard's plans.
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There is also an option to extend the loan until the end of the season.
However, Zappacosta did extend his Blues contract by an additional 12 months before completing the switch to Roma, tying him to the Stamford Bridge club until 2022.
The defender said: "I am pleased to join Roma, after an experience overseas that helped me progress as both a player and a person.
"Being able to play for a great club like this is a huge motivation – I cannot wait to start training alongside my new team-mates."
Zappacosta joined Chelsea from Torino in 2017 and has won the FA Cup and Europa League during his time in West London.
He is behind Cesar Azpilicueta and probably Reece James in the pecking order so has taken the chance to play first-team football in his homeland.
ROME COMFORTS
Earlier he said: "Returning to my country is very emotional. I am very happy, I missed Italy so much.
"I’m glad to be back here, Rome feels like my home because I live nearby. I’m very happy.
"I know [Roma sporting director Gianluca] Petrachi well and I know how much passion he puts into his work.
"I know the Roma supporters are passionate – Roma are a young team and I think we can do well."
Petrachi worked with Zappacosta at Torino and added: "I’m pleased to be able to have Davide on my team once again.
"Compared with the player that I knew at Torino, now Roma are getting a player who has matured both as a player and a person after a valuable spell in another league.
"I am certain that Davide will be able to make an important contribution during the course of the season."
Zappacosta, who could make his debut against Genoa on Sunday, is Roma's seventh signing of this transfer window and will wear the No2 shirt.
Throughout the summer, the Serie A club have used their transfer announcements to support charities in finding youngsters.
With a wide social media following, they are determined to use it to benefit society and so have teamed up with a number of charities across the world such as Missing Kids and ICMEC.
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It means videos of new signings are half the player joining and half pictures and information of missing children with contact details.
A club statement said: "With each player signing announcement the club makes this summer, a video will be released that will feature the faces and details of a number of children who are currently missing.
"The goal of generating publicity could result in someone, somewhere, offering valuable information about the whereabouts of the missing child."
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