Spalletti's pre-Inter Milan press conference in full

See what the boss had to say ahead of Sunday's Serie A meeting with Inter Milan.

The game at the Giuseppe Meazza gets underway at 20:45 CET.

Q: You’re at the start of a really testing run, with games against Lazio, Napoli and Lyon. Does that change anything in terms of your preparations for tomorrow?

Spalletti: “Naming them one after the other like that might make it seem impossible. But we need to break things down and play one game at a time. We’ll take it game by game: we’ll give our all in each match, then look to the next one. They are all very important, all key. We won’t fall into the trap of saying one is easier than another. We have to get our approach right for each match, all of which are top-level clashes.”

Inter have won nine of their last ten league games. How much is that down to Stefano Pioli?

“I don’t know. They’re a strong side and they’ve found a good level of balance. They all know that Pioli is a guy who knows his tactics and how to get his players on side. They’ve now found a tactical balance. They’ll be missing a strong player in Miranda, but they have guys who can come in. Pioli has a good mind and is a quality coach. They’ve won a lot of games and we’re ready to face a team in winning form.”

Thursday’s game against Villarreal showed that wholesale changes can be dangerous. Will nine players be un-droppable over the next series of games?

“That’s almost impossible. We’ve had a number of injuries and our line-up has changed a lot over the longer term. We need to underline something: on Thursday I didn’t set the team up in the ideal way for them to express themselves. Some lacked game time and the impact of my selection could be seen in the first half. The second half was a different game.”

How is Kostas Manolas doing?

“He’s fine. He’s available and will play.”

On the new stadium; does that news bring yourself and those players whose futures are perhaps uncertain closer to the Roma of the future?

“There’s a tendency to twist the meaning of what I say. I think people have understood. The players are important – they’re all committed to Roma – and we need to achieve things. You always say, to put pressure on us, that we have to win and I agree with that. Good players are important, those who value the surroundings, the fans, the team. These guys need to be kept. Good players need to be kept here. I will talk to the club moving forward and I have nothing else to add.

“The new stadium is very important. The news we got yesterday is a huge deal for the city. Virginia Raggi, Rome’s mayor, was faced with a tough decision to make and through dialogue she managed to achieve the best result, one which satisfies and looks after all those concerned. She did her job in a greatly competent fashion and the result is an uplifting one for the city of Rome, and not only for those people who love going to watch football. It’s about the city’s growth. It’s the right decision. I knew the task was in capable hands. I know Mauro Baldissoni well, and I expected the Mayor to be open to his ideas on the matter. Well done to all those involved. All clubs hope to have their own stadium and it’s the reason for which teams in England and Germany have more potential than those in Italy. There’s scope for greater opportunities, new jobs, increased income, and the beauty of being close to the fans, who can come and show their passion. The move will see Roma will become an even more coveted club, for its potential going forward.”

A key battle in tomorrow’s game could be that on the wings. What will you ask for from Emerson and Bruno Peres?

“[Antonio] Candreva and [Ivan] Perisic are two very good players, but they’re just two players in a strong Inter squad. There’s also [Danilo] D’Ambrosio on Peres’ side. There will be several other battles out there. Inter, like we do, have a squad full of top players and good quality. We’ll see which side can keep their momentum going and choose the right pieces of play. I think we’ll see a very hard-fought contest.”

Pioli and [Maurizio] Sarri are certainly well-informed on this issue: do you know how many penalties Inter and Napoli have been awarded this season?

“No, but I read something about it and I think some painstaking work has been done to help the referees. I’m not quite sure what they’re referring to: that they’ve had too few penalties and us too many? Let’s see. I know one thing for sure: in 19 rounds of fixtures last season Roma won just one penalty and nobody here tried to make comparisons with other teams. If they want to ask for something and use us as an example…. Fair enough, sometimes you have to highlight your handicap. Top coaches do that.”

Roma has now consolidated its position at the high end of Serie A. What do you expect the club to do in order to reach the higher echelons in Europe?

“I’m not in a position to go and make demands from the club. We have good leadership here. Just look at what they achieved yesterday. We’re still in Europe; we’re still in the running in competitions here in Italy. We’ve got a strong squad, with players who know how to play and also behave as good professionals. The club has worked very hard to pick these men out – and they are real men. If someone does leave then, yes, they should be replaced. We need to keep up the good work we’ve done over the years and the club’s hierarchy knows that, they are ready. The Roma fans can stay calm. We’re doing things in the right way.”

Would you accept a swap deal involving Mauro Icardi and Edin Dzeko?

“No, I’ll keep my guys here. Dzeko is our most important player in terms of our offensive play. I’ll keep Dzeko.”

Gerson and Gabigol – are their struggles indicative of the tactical demands of the Italian league?

“It always depends on the player’s substance. You may have to get used to how football works in other countries, but not all players are ready to show their qualities straight away, they should be given time. In Gerson’s case, we have Nainggolan, Salah, El Shaarawy who are ahead of him in the pecking order. He needs the chance to show his quality, step by step, he needs that time to mature and that’s it.”

What Emerson is producing and Dzeko’s renaissance - are they the things you’re most pleased with?
“For me the most satisfying thing is that Roma are picking up points, that’s it. My job is to make sure Roma grow. Roma’s results are all that I care about.”