Spalletti speaks to UEFA.com about Totti, Dzeko and Strootman

You can read the first part of the interview here.

What role does Francesco Totti have at Roma and how is your relationship with him?

"Totti was, is and will be everything for this club. The solution that Roma seek is Totti; he is the shortcut. Last season and this, he has shown that he can still contribute to the side in terms of technique, quality and creativity when trying to get results. Totti is a genius, he is not merely a talented player.

"If you are able to support him as a team, he puts his genius and his quality into everything he does on the pitch. Of course, if the rest of the team doesn’t have possession or control of the game, it’s much more difficult. So we need to make these judgement calls, which are normal for a player of his age, even though he's really focused on what remains of his career. I often see him training even better now than before."

What about Edin Dzeko? How have you recovered him?

"I haven’t recovered anyone; it is always the player who can make the difference. I can build a better atmosphere around him in order to help him recognise his ability or develop an environment where the players feel they can best express their qualities.

"I think Edin’s turning point was when he started to feel more at home at Roma. Fans have just started to appreciate him, and he was the one who made the first move when he told me he wanted to stay here and to show everyone what he could do. To me, that was the answer I wanted and was expecting because we couldn't bring in another player who was as good as him at the time. Therefore, the most important thing was to get him back to top form.

"Last season, I wasn’t helpful when I replaced him with Totti at a time when Edin wasn’t performing well. Fans started to boo him when he was walking off, whereas Francesco coming on was given a big round of applause. I realised that was a mistake from me. This year, I haven’t done it again because I promised I wouldn’t, even if it could lead my team to a better result.

"Nevertheless, we've solved that problem, in the sense it's no longer a direct conflict over whether Totti or Dzeko plays, as this season I have often played the two of them together and Totti has been providing assists for Dzeko. When they both played against Sampdoria and helped us turn the match around, that was another important moment.

"When the players who are in charge like Daniele De Rossi – here at Roma we still need to have players in the squad who were born in Rome, and we have players with this quality, this characteristic and this strength of being Roma players who have always lived in this city and played for the club for many years – allow Edin to take a penalty against Sassuolo and he scored, these are good signs.

"De Rossi then hugged him and gave a expression that could’ve gone badly, but he just wanted to say that Dzeko is a very good player and shouldn't be criticised. These are important signals that have helped him to feel accepted in this fantastic squad, family and group of players. He did his bit and has received something in return.

"Edin has made the progress he had to and everything is fine with him now; in fact we are harvesting the results."

How important is it to have Kevin Strootman back, after all his injury problems? And how important is he in making Roma play well?

"Strootman is an exceptional player and a fantastic man in all respects. You just need to see the desire and emotion he puts into everyday training, not only in matches. He really is a team player who helps you set the rhythm and is always ready come Sunday. If you are ready to play, you win; otherwise, you don't know what the result will be.

"Players like Strootman help you feel ready because he goes about his business in the right way. He is a very reliable person, a top player that every team would like to have. Where do you think Strootman could go? Barcelona, Bayern Munich… Throw him in there and Strootman would be able to compete. He could play in any one of those teams, which says it all."