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    Spugna: We want to stay in this competition as long as possible


    Roma Women coach Alessandro Spugna faced the media on Wednesday to preview his side's Women's Champions League group stage opener against Slavia Prague this week.

    The game against the Czech champions takes place in Latina on Thursday evening, with kick-off at 21:00 CEST.

    Here's what Spugna had to say...


    How much of a factor is rotation going to be for you, whether through choice or necessity, given the number of games you have in this period?

    “It’s going to be really important. The most important thing at the moment for us is that we have players available. Other than Lucia Di Guglielmo, who is going to be out for a while, we have everyone available. I want to put out players who are ready and in top shape.

    “And that starts tomorrow. It’s an important game, crucial to our journey in this competition because it’s our first in the group stage. We are in a group where there is also Wolfsburg, who are a great side, but we need to focus on this game first.”

    Compared to the game against Sparta Prague, what are you expecting from Slavia?

    “The similarity between the two is that they are both very physical sides. Perhaps Slavia even more so than Sparta. Counter-attacking is a strength of theirs; in the derby against Sparta they scored two goals from two clinical counters. They have an experienced squad with a number of players who represent the Czech national side.

    “We need to stay focused; a lot will come down to how we confront things. If we are able to dominate the ball like we did against Sparta then we can get the result we want. We need to be ready for the counters, which they will look to focus on. We are focused and want to stay in this competition.”

    What were your thoughts when the draw was made?

    “Probably that the draw was quite kind, I’ll be honest. But, having said that, when you are playing at European level it’s never going to be easy. You have to play the matches. I think now we have a different view of ourselves compared to when we started the play-off matches. As you play, as you produce decisive performances, your confidence grows. We need to take that into this group stage, with respect for all our opponents.

    “Sunday’s game against Sassuolo was a bit different to some of our recent matches. When you win a game in the 93rd minute it means that the team have learned something important about themselves. Games last the full 90 minutes, and you can’t always unlock them straight away. The desire, the hunger to get the three points drives a team on until the last minute to try and achieve that.

    “So that is the attitude we need to have with us in the Champions League – because a lot of games will be like that.”

    How are you looking to get the balance right in European matches?

    “The balance needs to always be there, in every match. We want to be an attacking, aggressive side but you can’t ever lose the balance. We need to make sure we are fully focused even when we don’t have the ball. We need to do a good job of spotting danger and shutting it off at the source, to prevent their counter-attacks.

    “We want to start with an attacking mindset because that’s our strength at the moment. That was the case against Sassuolo, even if the game did not immediately pan out like that and we had to wait until the end to get the winner. But we want to win matches and deliver those decisive moments whenever we can in a match.”

    Defender Carina Wenninger said in a recent podcast that Roma will have to adapt their style a bit if they want to continue in the competition. Do you agree with that?

    “I heard what Carina had to say. I think that she was trying to say something else. It’s not that we need to adapt to the opponent, but that we need a different attitude – because in Europe you will come up against sides that are very different to many in Italy. So you need to make some adjustments for that.

    “That I agree with her, absolutely. But that doesn’t mean we can’t be attacking or aggressive. It just means that we need to have a sense about us that perhaps in the league we can get away with not always having. That’s it. So, as I say, I agree with her.”

    How important is it to have almost everyone available at the moment?

    “All the players need to feel like they are an important part of things, that they are ready to play. There are no games that are less important than some of the others. After this we have Como at home – that game isn’t any less important than this one tomorrow. If we want to do well in the league then we need to successfully navigate all these matches.

    “We cannot afford to lose concentration; every player needs to be ready to go and feel like they have a key role in this.”

    Slavia Prague are serial winners in their country. How much of a factor is that, and how does it change your preparation to be going against a team that is used to winning?

    “It doesn’t change that much. You have to have a lot of respect for a side that has won 22 league titles. They have players that have been playing at a European level for many years. During our preparations we need to look at ways of nullifying their strengths.

    “We’ve looked at their last few matches; they have four or five new players compared to last season. We need to prepare for this one by focusing on the attributes they have. But we also need to play the game the way we know how to play.”