Spalletti says farewell to Roma at final press conference

Luciano Spalletti held a final press conference at Trigoria on Tuesday afternoon after his exit from the club was confirmed.

The coach paid tribute to his players, his staff and everyone associated with the club, following a near 18-month spell in charge that culminated with the Giallorossi finishing second in Serie A this term and earning automatic passage into next season's Champions League.

“I'd like to thank everyone I've worked with and my first thought goes to all the people behind the scenes who have helped me so much," Spalletti said. "People who arrive before the rest of us to get everything ready and make our work easier; an invisible team without whom – being the unorganised person I am – my job would have been more difficult.

"I'm talking about everyone – the lads in the kitchen, the cleaning ladies and everyone else who works behind the scenes at Trigoria.

“I also want to thank the players, of course, the club and all the staff here. There are many excellent professionals at this club and it's thanks to them that Roma can look to the future. This is without doubt a very strong Roma."

The coach believes the club can continue to progess in the future, thanks to the vision of sporting director Monchi and ambition of president Jim Pallotta.

“Monchi is a real football man who speaks the same language as players and coaches, and if he's able to work well here, with the ability he has and Pallotta's desire to do well, I'm sure he can take this team on to even greater things," Spalletti said.

“This year didn't go the way I'd hoped but I don't want people to say my second spell here was a transition phase because I believe we've built some solid foundations that must be built upon further to make Roma stronger still.

"I think that at a time like this, following Francesco [Totti]'s farewell, Roma need strong figures and strong characters that everyone can look up to. Highly professional figures who are good at dealing with those outside the club. I believe Monchi has those attributes and I'm sure he'll manage to bring everyone together and get them behind Roma – something I probably haven't been able to do. If he's able to get everyone on the same page, I'm sure Roma will be very strong indeed."

The coach admitted that he felt he had made some mistakes during the campaign, which saw the club suffer disappointing exits in the Europa League and Coppa Italia.

“I've made mistakes but I've always stuck to my beliefs," he said. "I have my way of working and of doing things and that's what I believe in. I tried to put it into practice and it's taken us to where we are now.

"People are free to interpret the various wins and defeats their own way; personally I've felt both great joy and great sadness over the course of the season.

“What I'll remember are the results that mattered - football is unfortunately a results business, after all. My overriding memory will be the professionalism I encountered within this team. We came in every morning and planned the day's work to ensure we could take on whatever opponents we had to face and match them. If you don't do your job properly during the week, you have no chance of getting a result at the weekend.

"The work you put in on the training ground is of vital importance. I'll remember the hard work my players put in and the results that mattered – both the good ones and the bad ones."

The coach also insisted he would continue to hold the club close to his heart.

“I never cut my ties with Roma completely, even when I was in Russia [coaching Zenit St. Petersburg]," he added. "I always kept tabs on the team's results and how they were doing. I think we can say we worked well. In this game it comes down to what happens at certain moments and the decisive results, but the main thing is that I leave a very strong Roma side – a team with some great players.

“Pallotta comes from a different sports background and he's shown that he wants to invest and achieve great things. He wants to build Stadio della Roma - and people cast doubt over whether he's doing it for personal interest? As I've said before, let's build this stadium. It would make everything easier for Roma.

"Italian football as a whole would benefit but it would be especially beneficial for those who love this club. It's key to so many things: greater revenue, more work for more people and more enjoyment for the fans going to the stadium.”

Read sporting director Monchi's farewell comments to Spalletti here.