Luciano Spalletti’s pre-AC Milan press conference in full

Here’s what the Giallorossi boss had to say in full:

“[Seydou] Keita has a problem with his left ankle and won’t be involved. [William] Vainqueur hasn’t recovered from tightness in his left thigh. [Diego] Perotti is also out, due to a strain to his right adductor muscle. The rest of the squad is available.”

How important will your attitude be tomorrow?

“We have a duty to go for it until our position is mathematically assured. Everyone is working hard – the club, the coach and everyone else who deals with these situations. We need the mental toughness we always talk about, even if it seems like the game is up. As long as it’s mathematically possible I’m sure that our players will do what they have to do. It’s been fantastic to work with them over the last few months. They instantly showed that they wanted to do something different. Given that it’s been them that have driven this run, I’m convinced they’ll keep fighting for as long as it takes.”

Do you think Roma deserve more than third place?

“Roma’s record is what the players deserve – they’ve done brilliantly. The statistics we’ve generated should be all over the papers. I’m sure that this team has real potential. We’ve worked well, but I don’t know whether we deserve more than third place. We need to be realistic if we come third. We’ve certainly done everything we can to finish as high up as possible, but if the table stays as it is we’ll accept it. We can’t ask for any more from the lads and need to continue to be positive towards them. We shouldn’t focus on the two points we dropped against Bologna – we should look at the points we’ve taken off Inter, Sassuolo, Napoli and other great sides. That’s the real evidence of what we’ve achieved. They players have been great – they’ve been magnificent.”

What’s your view on AC Milan’s season?

“It’s often pretty hard to speak about your own side, let alone others. Everyone is asking themselves how a team like AC Milan have had the problems they have this season. It might lead to a late reaction from them, because they have to finish on a high. They must prepare for the match well or face failing to get into Europe. It’ll be a really tough match for us if we don’t manage to show our quality on the pitch. It will be a difficult game, partly because of the work [Cristian] Brocchi’s done recently and partly because of the other factors I’ve just mentioned.”

Why has Salih Ucan not got much of a look in under you?

“First and foremost Salih is a splendid guy, a charming person and a great professional. He’s a good lad who comes to work hard and improve as much as he can. He’s tried hard but there have been other players that have done the same and managed to play more of a part this season. It’s competition with other players that has led to this situation. He’s definitely a good player and he has a big future ahead of him – he’s technically gifted, creative, brilliant in the way he plays, has a great shot on him and scores goals. Perhaps he needs to work on his character, in terms of intensity and consistency. He’s shown he has the quality to be in this team, even if the others have performed better. I’m in the uncomfortable position of having to make the big calls and leave people out. I’ve not seen any big weaknesses from him – I feel bad for not giving him much playing time and I thank him for the contribution he’s always made in training. He’s done what all the players have done – ensured that the team stayed strong and kept fighting to pull off the results we spoke about earlier.”

Tomorrow may be the last time we see [Lucas] Digne and Wojciech [Szczesny] as Roma players, although both have expressed their desire to stay. What are the chances that we see them back at Roma next year?

“We need to keep it general. Tomorrow’s match is really important to us as we look to achieve consistency and build on the improvement we’ve shown in the second half of the season. We’re always pursuing professionalism. I’m not going to speculate about next year until after this game. The lads need to be focused on the AC Milan match. I don’t want to create distractions or disruptions and I don’t want to speak about the future before tomorrow night. It would be wrong to speak about the players’ future and it would distract us from the only thing we should be thinking about – getting the win tomorrow night.”

Are you optimistic about cutting the gap with Juventus next year?

“I’m optimistic because of what I see in this team. I don’t want to make comparisons with anyone else and I don’t think that there was bad work done last year, particularly given the final league standing. What I’m saying is that this team has great potential, especially on a mental level. I’ll continue encouraging that today and tomorrow. We’ll make comparisons when the time is right – you don’t plan on paper but through hard work out on the pitch. Situations can change and that’s up to what our opponents do. You can’t compare different seasons. We’ve done what we had to do, and from what I’ve seen, when things are settled this team can compete with anyone.”

Does [Edin] Dzeko have a chance of playing tomorrow? Are you happy to have him next year too?

“With Perotti out, there are three or four players that have shown they can play their part so I’ll choose between them. I’ve already said I don’t want to speak about next season. We can talk about that starting Monday.”

Will Roma use the same playing system next year?

“The playing system is defined by the type of players you have. I think my team needs to be able to play several different systems with no issue in the future. Lots of teams have made that step forward this season, some successfully, others less so. Positional play and flexibility are really important and can give you a big advantage. It’s not about setting things in stone, but having balance out there plays to your favour. Fiorentina and Napoli are great examples of that. We want to continue down this path. Less rigidity in our systems, more creativity, freer interpretations… but the system has to be there because order is important.

Looking back at the start of the season, the teams involved in Champions League play-offs really struggled. To what extent does having to play that match change your planning for the season?

“It does, but I think it gives us an advantage. It means you start playing proper matches right away so you can get an instant bearing of the situation your team is in. We’ll be able to get a clearer picture of our mentality and how we’ll stand up to a long season, during which it’s hard enough not to fall over on the pitch. You have to work hard. It’s better that there are tough matches straight away.”

What’s your view on summer tours?

“Sometimes journeys can be as tiring as training sessions. It took me years to realise that a long journey can take as much energy out of the players as a match. It saps their mental energy. We need to make these things work and keep a few things in mind – when your name is Roma, a summer tour for a big club like ours is a must. Perhaps we need to find solutions to make sure all the players play, maybe by scheduling two matches on consecutive days. That said, you do certain things because they help the sport and nurture the love our fans have for us. We have to give something back, otherwise we wouldn’t be where we are. At times I don’t understand why the players don’t stop to sign autographs. We must contribute to the passion – it’s thanks to that passion that I’m Luciano Spalletti. For me it’s a pleasure that people stop to ask me for a photo. I get out of my car to do them!”

What has pleased you about this season and where would you like to improve for next year?

“I’ve seen signs of improvement, respect for people’s roles, desire to make a mark. That was the attitude I saw as soon as I entered the dressing room. What we need to try to do is improve on everything we’ve done this season. There’s always scope to take another step forward. With that attitude we can change our lives and those of others. You always need to be looking to achieve something better – it’s not easy but that needs to be our goal. To show that we have even more quality than people think.

“The lads have done fantastically, but behind them are all the people working at Trigoria – the kit men, the kitchen staff, everyone. They’ve ensured that everything is perfect for the players. That invisible team has been absolutely vital to our achievements. They’ve been key.”