Di Francesco: We'll face Barca with respect but no fear

Coach Eusebio Di Francesco says Roma will face Barcelona with “respect – but not fear” when they meet in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

Excitement is building around the Italian capital, with fans last week rushing out to buy their tickets for the second leg at the Stadio Olimpico.

But, even with such a huge tie on the horizon, Di Francesco insists he is not looking beyond the next challenge: Saturday’s Serie A game against Bologna.

“It’s clear that people will think about the game [againt Barca] but Bologna is a key game for us in the battle to finish third,” he noted.

“We don’t want to keep [Lionel] Messi quiet, but the whole team. Messi is the best player in the world but a way to mark him out of the game doesn’t exist: a certain extra attention, yes. It’s a game we will take on with great respect for Barcelona’s quality – but no fear.”

The game against Bologna is an important clash for the Giallorossi, with the battle for the top-four positions heating up as the season enters the final stretch.

“I try to look forward rather than back at what has happened,” Di Francesco said. “We could have done better [in the league] but we had a tough spell where we dropped too many points. But I’ve always said that right now Napoli and Juventus have a little bit more than us.”

Di Francesco was asked to evaluate his first season in charge of the Giallorossi but demurred from any prognostications.

“It’s too early to say,” he noted. “We could have had more points in the championship, but the fact we have got this far in the Champions League, having not managed to do so for so many years, means we have achieved some good things.

“The fact we can still go even further is a big motivation, but what I say to my players is: never be satisfied.”