Off contract from Borussia Dortmund, the veteran defender has penned a one-year deal with Roma with an option for another 12 months.
He said after signing today: "I can't wait to play for this team, for this club, in front of the fans at the stadium. As a child I grew up following Roma, in particular Francesco Totti and my new coach. When I was younger, I played against Daniele De Rossi. I'm very happy to be here and to be part of this club.
“Yes, I wanted to choose well. I am really happy and 100% convinced. I didn’t want to be in a situation where I would sit a few weeks or months later and think maybe I should have waited.
"I am happy with the choice I made and to be here now. I honestly needed time after last season. Emotionally, having left Dortmund after such a long time, after the Champions League final, it took me a while to recover.”
You are a legend, a football legend. You have a lot of experience in the Bundesliga, what do you expect from Serie A?
“I am really curious to discover Serie A. Obviously I know the teams, I have faced them, I have challenged some Italian teams in the Champions League and Europa League. I have played with the national team against Italy: sometimes it went well, sometimes less so. I am very curious to discover the stadiums, the teams and the way of playing, the differences compared to what I was used to in the Bundesliga in recent years. It is nice to still be curious about football at my age. I am really happy to be here, I am convinced that everything will go well for everyone”.