There are now approximately 24 hours to go until kick-off of the big match at the Olimpico between Roma and Juventus.
Gasperini’s men have a rare opportunity: a win would send the Bianconeri to seven points behind, thus taking a huge step towards qualifying for next season’s Champions League.
The Piedmontese coach opened his pre-match press conference, held as usual at Trigoria, with these words: “We both strive, despite our different characteristics and situations, to achieve results through the play of our teams. This has always been something that has defined us; it’s an important aspect for us, and I believe that tomorrow will also be a match between two teams that strive for results by offering quality play, with little speculation.”
“Both will try to play for one result, therefore to win the match. We’ll test Dybala today: he’s much better than yesterday, but his condition still needs to be assessed. We’ll see today.”
Gasperini then spoke about the lack of victories in big matches: “We recently drew with Napoli and Milan, unfortunately we lost the first leg. We’ll see tomorrow. In other matches, for example against Como, who aren’t far behind us, or against Bologna, we haven’t always lost, otherwise we wouldn’t be in this position in the standings.”
“It’s clear that perhaps we’re missing a win against one of these teams that are so close, so close to us, but we shouldn’t think about that tomorrow. We need to think about how we interpret the game, because on a personal and team level, these types of matches are often balanced.”
“Sometimes it’s the smallest details that ultimately change the outcome.”
The former Atalanta coach continued: “In the first leg, we were a bit more patched up, especially in defense; we were missing a few players. But it was a good performance from us, just as Juventus played an excellent game. It was balanced until the end; there was even a moment when we hoped we could get a result.”
“Tomorrow will be a game of different moments. It’s true that compared to the end of December, we had a very difficult January due to injuries; we were often in a state of emergency. We were a bit fitful, with a few wins and a few defeats. Now we’re entering a phase where it’s important to maintain consistency and try to put together a winning streak. In this period, you can pull away and break away in the standings, and that’s what we have to try to do.”
Regarding Soulé, Gasperini had this to say: “We’re evaluating Soulé little by little. Not just this week; we hope next week will be better, that he can rejoin the team and at least start training regularly again. The four points are significant for Roma’s progress, but they aren’t decisive in terms of the final result.”
“I believe this will be a competition that will be decided much further down the line. We need results to stay in, but as I’ve said before, we hope to be able to play for everything in the final Sundays, because that means we’re in the running. It’s unthinkable that a team can soar and decide the championship so far in advance.”
On the gap with European football: “It’s a very broad discussion, and we certainly can’t do it today. But we need to acknowledge and be aware of the reality, which doesn’t just concern the cups but also the national team. It’s a fairly broad issue to address. The problem is probably not a single one, otherwise it could perhaps be easily resolved. It’s a combination of situations that have led us to be less competitive in Europe. Perhaps other countries are also to blame: what Norway is doing, for example, shows that we also need to be able to recognize the merits of our opponents.”
Fourth place via the league or by winning the Europa League? Gasperini responded: “It’s difficult to make a prediction like that. Right now, we have to stay in the thick of everything. Three months may seem like a short time, but it’s a long time. We have to try to be competitive in the league, achieve the best possible results, and stay in the Europa League. When the crucial matches arrive, both for the league and for Europe, we need to be ready and position ourselves as best as possible. There are so many variables: you think you’ll get players back and instead you lose them, there are bookings both in the league and in Europe. In Europe, we also have some players, like Ferguson or Arena, who aren’t on the squad list.”
“Right now, we have to think game by game and try to get the most out of every game. Juventus was an incredible training ground. I spent ten years in the youth academy as a youngster, then another ten as a youth coach, plus five years in the Primavera. It was a tremendous education for me, both personally and football-wise. It was a club where football was played very well, and it gave me the opportunity to grow, to travel around Europe to see teams and players. It helped me enormously in my career.”
On the possible change of formation: “Anything is possible. Being able to use it in matches, not just in training, gives you a little more confidence. The fact that things went well gives you experience, experience, and therefore you can transition more easily from one situation to another. For the players too, these are already tried situations that have yielded results. Clearly, a lot depends on the match, the opponent, and our squad. Right now, we have a lot of midfielders available who are performing well, while perhaps we’re a bit lacking on the attacking wings. But these are all experiences that help and will prove useful to us in this final part of the season.”
Gasperini then spoke about the possible Champions League quota: “Generally, you always need to get over 70 points, 72 or 73. I don’t remember exactly how many we needed last year, but usually you need to go over 70. The feeling is that this year we might need a few more points, but it’s hard to say because it will depend on the performance of the teams involved. Last year, there were a lot of them: Roma, Milan, Lazio. There were many more teams, then this year, maybe Bologna dropped away earlier, Lazio dropped away earlier, I don’t know. As I said, whoever manages to make a run of consecutive wins right now is crucial: they can create a significant advantage.”
Regarding the travel ban, the coach commented: “The ban on following the team was already discussed a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, it ends up penalizing the passion of thousands of people who want to follow the team. This happens in Italy, perhaps differently in Europe. I don’t have a clear view on the interpretation of the rules; we’ll have a definitive answer next week. We all hope that these restrictions can end and that people are free to follow the team with the same passion they have at home, even when they’re away. It’s part of football, the opportunity to support your team and also experience the cities where they play. That’s what we all hope for.”
The Giallorossi coach responded to a question about Atalanta players struggling to establish themselves elsewhere: “It’s not always like this. I’ve found players who, in my opinion, were even stronger than when they were very young at Atalanta. I can’t always explain why they haven’t performed at their best in other situations, even though Koopmeiners recently scored two goals in the Champions League. I can say that Koopmeiners is a strong player, that’s for sure. Why he perhaps failed to live up to the initial expectations, I don’t know, but he was a very strong player at Atalanta.”
Roma will face Bologna in the Europa League round of 16. Gasperini commented: “I think the first leg is very important in these types of matches, because that’s where you can build a small advantage in qualifying. Two-legged ties are unique, different from league matches: the margins are smaller, and it’s also more difficult to come back. That’s why the first leg immediately becomes important. When you get to a certain point, it’s normal to face teams that are increasingly stronger than they were in the group stage. It’s disappointing because they’re two Italian teams that probably could have both advanced and improved their rankings. But in this competition, you have to overcome significant obstacles to then play with confidence and ambition all the way.”
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