Roma manager Luciano Spalletti spoke today ahead of tomorrow’s Europa League clash against Astra:
What do you expect from the team despite qualification already having been obtained?
I expect them to grow from time to time mentality-wise, we want to be the ones walk on to the pitch and only want to win and highlight what the motto is of Roma.
How important is this match also in view of Milan?
It’s important to keep our mentality and condition of the team, both physically and mentally it’s important. Your mind comes into play after you play poorly. We have to be the team that always gives the maximum in any match and any time we walk on to the pitch.
A chance for Vermaelen tomorrow? What about the ban of Strootman?
Tomorrow, Vermaelen will play from the first minute, I expect a good performance from him because I saw his condition in training and I am convinced that he is ready to play. On this, there are players who have played less and tomorrow night I expect important answers from them. With regards to the suspension, at this point, everything is to be expected, so if that’s how they want to read a situation then anything is possible. Although, I hope that they don’t ban Lulic, otherwise Rüdiger could also be banned for having simulated selling socks in Stuttgart. If this incident had occurred in the penalty area would it have been a penalty or simulation? They give a two match ban for something like this? It makes me wonder when they deem something to be simulation? When there is contact? You start to enter the realm of interpretation.
