In Rome, Paulo Dybala has become the centre of a new piece of supporter art: a child sits cross-legged, holding a Roma No. 21 figure in yellow and red, its fist raised as if ready to take flight. The image grew from a moment after the Torino match, when Dybala gave his shirt to a young fan who burst into tears.
The decision
The work is by Lorenzo Verrecchia, known as Drugi, a 30-year-old artist born in Molise and adopted by Rome. His contribution to the city’s football landscape comes not from direct painting on walls, but from poster art: images prepared on paper and then fixed to public surfaces in the manner of large-scale murals.
For Drugi, Dybala’s appeal reaches beyond the matchday. He sees the Argentine as an idol for children, both through his football and his familiar celebration, while the small No. 21 figure is intended to bring out the child in older supporters as well. Parents have contacted him to say the image moved them.
He said the idea arrived in a single night, before the longer process of drawing, planning and choosing the right location began. Printing is handled with the help of a friend who runs a copy shop and, Drugi said, would open even late at night for the project.
His work is rooted in an attachment to both Rome and Roma. He explained that loving the city is not enough on its own; just as a singer puts feelings into lyrics, he tries to express his own through images placed around the capital.
That also explains a choice he has made about the work itself. Despite receiving many requests, Drugi does not want street art to become a job or a source of pressure. Apart from occasional pieces for friends, he follows the ideas that matter to him personally, describing the work as a hobby rather than a commercial activity. He is rarely fully convinced by the finished result, he added, until his girlfriend and sister — both devoted Roma supporters — persuade him otherwise.
Roma figures on the city walls
The Dybala image belongs to a growing gallery of Roma figures in Drugi’s work. He said the poster devoted to Gian Piero Gasperini took a long time to develop, but was warmly received by supporters and later appeared on sports television programmes. Gasperini contacted the artist, invited him to Trigoria and received a copy of the work. Drugi described the coach as gracious and said he was pleased to see him leading Roma.
Another planned piece was dedicated to José Mourinho. Drugi began working on it after the Champions League draw and said it would appear in the streets on 13 October, on the eve of the match. In his view, Mourinho’s return deserved its own artwork.
The artist’s proudest Roma piece remains his first: a portrayal of Claudio Ranieri holding a she-wolf, designed as an image of calm at a difficult time for the club. It followed the dismissals of Daniele De Rossi and Ivan Juric, and presented Ranieri as someone bringing reassurance to an unsettled environment.
He also singled out a poster of a child at a drinking fountain wearing Francesco Totti’s shirt. That work was based on a real photograph, later transformed into poster art. Its message, for Drugi, was simple: much changes around Roma, but Totti endures.
