Spalletti speaks to UEFA about the Europa League, his relationship with Rome and more

See what he had to say below.

UEFA.com: Coach, how is your relationship with the city of Rome?

Spalletti: "My relationship with Rome is fantastic because I never take a wrong turn. I only know the way from my home to Trigoria. I have been taken to see the beauty of the city, which really stays in your heart if you see it in the right way because it’s marvellous. If you get to learn a bit about Rome’s history and the Romans while you’re at it, even better.

"In actual fact, I don’t really have a social life. I often go home and then I go straight back to work – that’s it. I don’t know many other places in the city unfortunately, but it’s an intense relationship because my children have grown up here, so, as a family, we’re strongly connected to this city."

And what about Roma fans?

"The Roma fans are extremely loyal. Roma is their second skin, so their feelings are immediately transmitted to you, meaning there can also be tension or worry at times because you know how much support is behind the team.

"You almost have to absorb their love for the club and its colours. You’re the person that has to translate that on to the pitch and not everyone has the strength of character to be able to shoulder that burden. On the other hand, it’s good that this is the case and we have that drive behind us."

Do you think this Roma side is equipped to get back to winning ways?

"I think we have a chance of breaking the recent trend and being able to send out a big statement. A victory isn’t just lifting a trophy. A victory is also what you instil in everyone around you in terms of the way you work, think and decide your own future. It’s the way you go about your daily work, which has to be professional.

"Football is a serious thing. It’s not a bit of fun and a game like so many say. There are powerful interests involved; people are deeply infected by the results and they follow their team’s progress with love, passion and deep feeling. That’s why all we can do is be totally professional all of the time. Of course, results don’t always go the way you want them to.

"Fans will forget some results, but they won’t ever forget the way the team conducts itself; that’s something else which is very visible and everyone can see. That’s what Roma fans know how to evaluate. If our attitude isn't good enough, they're the first to know because they understand the game and have seen top players. They’ve seen teams play great football."

How would you judge Roma's UEFA Europa League campaign so far?

"We haven’t played very well in a couple of matches, especially when we drew against Austria Vienna at home despite having control of the game. We jeopardised everything because it meant we had to win the reverse fixture, which we did. That put us in a strong position because our fate is in our hands now. Given our next match will be against Viktoria Plzen at home, we are set up to win the group. We performed very well to come back from behind and win the away match against Austria Vienna. These teams are very skilled at doing what they have to do, so as a result it’s not easy to get the upper hand in these contests and easily get the victory."

As an outsider, the competition looks very tough because there are top teams like Manchester United, Inter and Nice that are finding it difficult.

"It's even worse as an insider! From where you are, you can make the assessment that Roma are strong, Manchester United are strong and Inter are very strong, but then you have all the other opponents as well. You have to play at certain grounds against teams where it's precisely your ability that makes them play at a higher level. They want to match themselves against you and this is their only chance on a stage that matters against the clubs that we've picked out as the strongest."

What attributes should your Roma side always have?

"We have to send a clear message to all of our fans. In order to do so, I think we need to have character and believe that weak men have weak destines, while strong men has strong destinies.

"We need men with character, people who are brave enough to try certain things, display that competitive streak and stand up for the sporting battle. I think my team must always go toe-to-toe with whoever they are up against; this is the signal we must always give off every time we take to the pitch."