Roma manager Gian Piero Gasperini spoke to the media on the eve of the match against Cremonese.
The Italian coach had this to say about the current state of the team and the season that is underway:
“I think there’s room for improvement, even though Pellegrini has played a lot and there may be a moment of less brilliance. We also need to give Zaragoza a bit of time; we threw him into the mix right away, but he has some very good qualities that he’s already shown. He needs a few games to integrate with the team.”
Gasperini spoke about Dybala’s condition and the risk of suspensions: “Tomorrow’s match is crucial, so we have to play at our best and can’t look beyond tomorrow. Dybala won’t be available tomorrow; he’s continuing his treatment and is giving it his all, but there’s a problem that’s preventing him.”
He then spoke about the many injuries: “It’s typical of football, even more so now because there are so many games. I have 14-15 players who have never been injured, but there are some like Dovbyk, Ferguson, Bailey, Dybala, and El Shaarawy who have had very long-term injuries: if you count the days missed, there are some who have been out for months, and that has an impact. Then, over the course of the season, missing a few games is normal.”
Gasperini also spoke about Soulé, Venturino, and Vaz: “Soulé has been out all week, so he won’t be playing tomorrow, hopefully in the next few games. We were lacking in Venturino’s position, and he will bring us satisfaction over time. Vaz was a crucial investment for the club. The investment made weighs heavily on him, otherwise we’d be talking about things differently. Right now, I’m trying to understand how useful he can be in the immediate future, because he will certainly be in the future.”
And on referees, he explained: “Drills, handballs, and contact create problems. Problems of interpretation, difficulties for referees, the crowd, and the players. It’s a rulebook that’s interpreted in too many different ways, and the exact opposite is justified. Football is a contact game; if you take away the tackle, you take away a beautiful gesture. Handballs have always been a problem, while drills are a recent problem due to the interpretation of freeze-frames, which has accelerated this process.”
Gasperini returned to the topic of Malen: “I believe Serie A is even more difficult than many other leagues, especially for strikers. I’m convinced he’s crucial in that role. He played for Aston Villa and the national team, and the main reason I convinced him to come to Rome was that I told him ‘you play there.’ He often ended up on the wing, but for me, he’s a striker, and that’s what he wanted. Center-forwards don’t necessarily have to be 6’3″ tall.”
In recent days, there was talk of a dinner between Totti and Gasperini, and the coach clarified: “If you ask me, Totti is a tremendous asset, but it’s not something I came up with.”
Gasperini then returned to the Champions League objective: “The club and Ranieri himself have always said that this was a transition year. I’m the one who talked about the Champions League; for me, that’s all there is. I left the Champions League behind, and I really miss not being able to play in it. If anyone thinks they can put pressure on me, they’re very wrong, because the objective is mine, but we have to leave either Juve, Napoli, or Como. I came here to build something strong. Everything we’ve done in recent months, including the two transfer windows, is aimed solely at that. It’s not true that you can’t work in this city; it’s difficult, but not because of the atmosphere.”
He then spoke about the team’s room for improvement: “I think we’re already at a good level, but everything can be improved. If you lose your forwards for a month, a month and a half, it becomes difficult for everyone. And we don’t know if or when we’ll get them back, that’s the only point: once this issue is resolved, I’m trying to bring in Venturino and Vaz as much as possible. Zaragoza just arrived, and Malen was definitely the signing that gave us value. Right now, we hope not to lose any more, and in 20 days the cup competitions are back, so we’ll be back playing every three days.”
He concluded on Cremonese: “It’s difficult. Now the points are starting to matter more, as always the matches in the second half of the season become more complicated. We have very strong motivation, if it ended today we would be rewarded and we don’t want to go down from there. If we don’t make mistakes, it will be difficult for the others.”
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