Spalletti on Totti, Napoli and being a team

Roma coach Luciano Spalletti spoke to the media ahead of Monday's big Serie A clash against Napoli.

The Italian was asked about the keys to the clash with Maurizio Sarri's side along with the qualities his side will need to show in order win the game, along with a number of questions about Francesco Totti and the club's summer plans.

Here is the press conference in full:

“I spoke to the doctor a short time ago and what we were most interested in was the fitness of [Antonio] Rudiger because he suffered a muscle problem. It looks okay and he should train with the squad and that’s allayed the fears we had yesterday. [William] Vainqueur, who suffered a knock to the thigh, is fit. I asked him yesterday if he wanted to finish training early but he told me he was fine. We’ll wait for today’s session to assess everything, however.”

Napoli always seem to play with the same 11 starters. Is that strength or a limitation?

“It’s hard to assess and we’ve seen that they have other good players who don’t usually start. We have to look at the evidence. The fact that they’re enjoying the season they’re having, with those statistics, and developing that style of play shows that [Maurizio] Sarri is right. Napoli are the team we should be highlighting in terms of the football they’ve produced this season, their statistics, approach and consistency. After Juventus, they’ve been the best side in the division and they deserve to be where they are in the table.”

Tomorrow, perhaps for the first time since you came back, there’s a side that usually takes the game to the opposition. Could that have an impact on your team selection?

“I’ve changed the team a few times too. We’ll go with the side that gives us the greatest confidence. They’re a good team, they play expansive football and they still try to remain balanced. They all track back and close down the space to help out defensively and they have four players who break in behind your defence line when you push up. We need to be consistent and compact like they are. That’s their strength.”

Could Roma v Napoli be Totti’s penultimate match at the Olimpico?

“You have to do this question to [club president James] Pallotta. You speak English better than me [sic]. I've weighed in on this subject too many times already. I don't want to talk about things like this, as I've said before. I don't want to come across as rude but all we're interested in is winning our next match. No one can relax between now and the end of the season in terms of the target we want to reach. We'll keep aiming for that."

You've said that it's for the president to answer but do you not feel you have to give your opinion on Totti as a footballer?

"First of all, I've had this non-existent rivalry thrust upon me, for having acted using principles which are an essential part of my job. This is something we need to discuss at the end of the season and it relates to everyone. I've always maintained the following and I still believe it: I'll be very pleased if next year Francesco keeps doing what he loves and makes him happy. I'll be there with him to find his role next year. I feel like a broken record. This is a matter that concerns the president and Francesco. We're all judged on the results we get this season. We have a great opportunity to get results in the next four games and all our focus must be on that."

Where could Roma be if they had [Gonzalo] Higuain?

“I’ll go back to using the principles that are a part of my position. I must think about the players who have given me a great opportunity that no one believed possible when I took over in January - going into Roma v Napoli as a six-pointer in the race for Champions League qualification, a crucial target for our club and the fans. And I have to congratulate the team for having believed from day one, from the moment I arrived. Their brilliance has not been stressed enough. When I took over, no one would have thought we could have gone into tomorrow’s match on an even footing. The lads have produced incredible results and often we haven’t highlighted that. They’ve grafted since day one, they've shown a willingness to work and I saw that from how they looked at me on my first day. If I hadn't believed in this team, I wouldn’t have come here but over time they’ve shown me how good they are. And when I say “they”, I include [Edin] Dzeko too. He’s a good player, a great footballer, a Roma player. Perhaps I haven’t backed him enough but a top player like him doesn’t need massive amounts of support. As I’ve said, this is Dzeko we’re talking about. He’s done his job in training and perhaps he’d have different statistics had I played him more because you need to pick players too. Higuain is an incredible player but I’m pleased with what Dzeko has brought to the team in order for us to go into this crucial match for the team and club’s targets."

You’ve said that Roma don’t have a strong character and perhaps a bigger personality might have stopped [Kostas] Manolas from taking that free-kick on Sunday. How do you resolve that?

“Manolas can take free-kicks, although there are some players who take them better. Thinking back, I didn’t ask that question saying that my team has little character. I said that I’ve preferred to opt for quality in the side, working on the players’ mindset and self-esteem because the lads need to rediscover their ability. The only solution I could see for this side was via technique and playing style. So I went down that route because it seemed the only way to get the best out of our players. We’ve seen that when we need to be a little wily, there’s an incident or we require that bit of nous in a single situation we’re not able to get much of the game. We need the squad, the team, quality and our playing style. We’ve never got a result by being wily, simply through the team’s or an individual’s ability. I will therefore keep going down this path. But my team does have character anyway.”

The team have come back in several matches so there’s no issue with fitness though perhaps they’re not as sharp as they were initially...

“We haven’t produced as much as we did in that first stretch of results. It’s always come down to our play and our quality, however. I don’t think there’s been a drop in our fitness levels. We have GPS these days and we can see how far the team runs. The data tells us we’ve performed consistently on that. Our numbers in terms of fitness haven’t changed. It depends how you run, however. We’ve run less efficiently at times and you can see that.”

Are the issues at the back down to individuals or the unit as a whole?

“You always need to look at choices and who makes them. We have full-backs who like to get forward to give the team an attacking approach. Maybe it’s down to that. I’ve never picked holding midfielders, I prefer lads that push forward more. The decisions I make influence the team.”

You've said that the team needs excitement around the place to play well. Totti sparked that excitement when he came on and yesterday he trained with you too. Are you therefore considering picking him to start?

"First and foremost I really enjoyed his message yesterday. That was a true captain's statement. He trained on his own yesterday because, like on other occasions, I can move a training session based on family commitments and I can have direct contact with the players when I'm out on the pitch. He came earlier than everyone else yesterday, just like other players did in the past, and he did everything asked of him carefully and willingly. He's an asset for us, as I've said. That's how we want to view him. I'll tell you the team tomorrow because it's a massive game."

When it comes to the Totti-Spalletti rivalry, it seems the fans are more on his side. Does that bother you?

"That's the way it should be. That's only natural given what he's achieved in the game. As for me, occasionally I might seem intransigent, curt and harsh. But I've always acted based on the principles someone in my position must have. Those attached to a cause can lose sight of what managing a team involves. I need everyone in my squad, that includes Totti. In the last two matches and those games in which he's come on, he's made a significant contribution with his quality. But I have to boost my other players' self-esteem, I have to make everyone feel important in order to get results. [Claudio] Ranieri's been mentioned a lot lately. Leicester City are a team, otherwise they wouldn't have got those results. Juventus are also a good team, they have some great individuals but they're a strong side. I haven't got a rivalry with anyone, I simply want to create a strong team. I'm not here to have a rivalry, simply to get results."