After their first two convincing 4-0 wins against Fiorentina and Lecce, Roma face their first big match of the new season.
Tomorrow night, Maurizio Sarri’s Atalanta arrive at the Olimpico, fresh from two wins against Sassuolo and Bologna.
Gian Piero Gasperini, speaking at a press conference at the Fulvio Bernardini sports center in Trigoria, spoke about the upcoming match against his former team: “It’s a test of strength, of courage. The schedule, in the first 10-12 matchdays, pits us against many teams from the top of the table.”
“Given that I also consider Fiorentina to be a good team, and winning away at Lecce is never easy. Then, next up, we’ll face Como, Inter, and Napoli. In short, the first leg of the first half of the season will feature all these games, plus the Champions League. It’s fine, it’s a journey, and we’ll take it one at a time, starting tomorrow, when we’ll face a top-class team that’s started well. It’s a match that deserves visibility in Europe.”
Gasperini then spoke about Dybala and the free agents: “Paulo has nothing special, the tests revealed nothing. He’s testing today. The important thing is that he feels confident and calm, especially because we have three games this week, all important matches, and he needs to be at his best. Free agents? Very difficult. I don’t know what the opportunities are, but I wouldn’t count on it too much.”
The coach then spoke about Salah-Eddine, out of the squad all summer: “He’s had several opportunities that he turned down. As for Roma, I’ve already made some decisions, and he’s not in Roma’s plans.” On Malen: “He’s already fine as he is, come on. Has he scored any headers? Maybe not, that’s not in his repertoire. Let’s try (laughs).”
On Mora: “He’s played in two out of two games. Whether he’s a starter or a reserve, it’s not like someone who starts is a starter, or a reserve if he comes on later. It’s true that he’s young, but he’s already shown his talent. He’s very young and has plenty of room for improvement in terms of his physique, endurance, and stamina. We’re dealing with a player of absolute value; that’s hard to deny.”
Gasperini then mentioned the injured Ndicka and Pellegrini: “Ndicka is much better, I think he’s ready for the match. We’ll test him today. Pellegrini? He’s started working a bit with the group, but to play the matches, perhaps against Inter or after the break.”
On some possible changes ahead of the Champions League: “We need to take it game by game. It’s true that the matches are close together, but it’s unpredictable what will happen on the pitch. We’ve had months with zero injuries, but when you start playing the league and the Champions League, some players are sidelined. You just have to hope they’re low-level injuries. So you can even put together a plan where you think you’ll rest one or the other, but that’s not true. What I try to do, if someone is tired, is to play someone who’s in good shape. Some choices are made with that in mind. We can’t always say a player has a minor injury. But when there are longer-term injuries, there’s little you can do.”
The coach then spoke about the midfield: “Pisilli is way ahead: he’s gained maturity, awareness, he’s grown, he’s strong. I have four players there, I don’t make any hierarchy. De Roon, Balerdi, and the new arrivals need to reach their peak condition; they’ll play in fits and starts, and we’ll see them full-time, probably after the break because they’ve only recently arrived. Pisilli, Koné, and Cristante are solid; there’s no hierarchy. If someone is tired, then whoever is better plays, as I said before. Maybe in a month someone else will play more, but they’re all part of the game. We’re playing with 16 men, and there are a lot of games. Don’t make any distinctions between those who start and those who come on because, in the end, you’ll see that everyone’s playing time will be similar.”
Gasperini continued speaking about the team: “I’m in love with these guys. This is an environment where you enjoy coming. We spend hours together, and when you’re in an environment where there are no disagreements, where no one is particularly unpleasant, it’s extraordinary to see how much they enjoy training, despite the heat and the fatigue. The credit goes to the players. Regardless of the results, ours is a very healthy environment.”
On Castro and Malen starting together: “Yes, they’re all versatile players who can play different plays. Castro and Mora, playing more, will have more opportunities to get involved, but there’s no problem with the others.”
