Shop
“Before I start, I’d just like to give you the latest from the treatment room. Besides [Norbert] Gyomber, [William] Vainqueur won’t be available tomorrow either. He’s got a groin problem and I’m sorry to say he won’t be fit in time. The pair will both resume training towards the middle of next week. There are another couple of situations that aren’t crystal clear but that can be managed, provided they don’t worsen today. Everyone else is available for selection.”
Does it feel special to be back in charge of a derby?
“It does and that comes from the passion that surrounds this fixture and this team and you naturally get caught up in it when you work in this city. We, though, have other targets and we need to manage the emotion of this match and keep an eye on our aims for the season.”
After the international break, how are the team looking going into the derby and the end-of-season run-in?
“We’re in fine fettle coming into the derby, though I would have liked to have met them on an even footing with Lazio still chasing other targets this season. I’ve heard talk about how the teams differ. I don’t know who comes into the fixture on better form but we are their raison d'être at this moment in time. We, on the other hand, have more going on. I hope my players manage to keep a strong mindset and focus on more than simply the derby.”
How would you vote in a poll on whether Francesco Totti should start the derby?
“If I just thought in terms of a poll, I’d pick him too. Plus if he played, of course he’d captain the side. You can run all the polls you want but football lovers are right to enjoy great skill and great stories in the game. That’s why it’s only right he plays in this fixture because he’s always produced the goods in the derby. Clearly though, as a coach you have to leave emotion and passion to one side and consider a series of factors. I hope to do so in the right way because it’s a big match and the result will be important too. We have to keep chasing our aim, namely the Champions League.”
It’s just over a year since Totti struck two in the derby. What’s changed since then?
“I’ll respond now as I did earlier, even though I said I wouldn’t answer any more questions about Totti. If not, it all becomes a bit dull. There’s a difference between watching a game and analysing one. When you analyse a match, you consider things that the media as football fans probably don’t spot because Francesco will always produce moments of magic. If it were simply a case of flair, we could hand him another five- or six-year contract because his touch is still the same. There are other factors to bear in mind though. Who would tell him that Roma fell two goals behind in that match because they didn’t have someone who was able to track back. I think how you manage a match is crucial and in order to control the game you have to keep possession and running off the ball is the most physically demanding aspect of football. Look, when Totti has the ball at his feet he can drop it on a six-pence, he’s a joy to watch in training. But what do you do when the opposition have the ball? Totti loves the game and when he runs out onto the pitch he sticks it straight into the top corner. That’s all he knows, placing it there with power, ability and accuracy. He doesn’t need any specific circumstances surrounding him. He wants to be on the ball, to feel it.
“I’d like 15 Tottis. I want top players like Totti and it seems like you’re only interested in one of them playing. I work to have 15 players as good as him. I have to do my job well and not meddle in other matters because Totti is a sensitive subject. I don’t want to be brought into Totti’s past. That’s something else altogether. It’s easy. I have to manage the team from a technical and tactical perspective to achieve results which are crucial for us. If the team is functioning as a unit, I have to back the other players too. When you improve you can compete with anyone. I manage that side of things and I don’t want anyone to interfere with that because the responsibility is mine alone. Similarly, I don’t want to get involved in the club’s relationship with Totti because they have to discuss Francesco’s glorious past at this club amongst themselves. I mustn’t interfere on that.”
Are you disappointed the Curva Sud won’t be in attendance?
“First and foremost it’s sad to read the attendance figures forecast for the derby in the papers. I would have liked to have heard talk about a planned sell-out. Let’s all sit down and find a way to fill the Stadio Olimpico, whoever plays there. Personally, I will try and find out more about the issue and will ask to speak to [Prefect of Rome Franco] Gabrielli to better understand the situation and the various stakeholders. However, I can’t say I’m not disappointed and I think it’s a huge sacrifice for our supporters. I’ve experienced plenty of derbies, I’ve seen the stadium and the Curva Sud. Given how crazy people are about Roma around here I can’t imagine they can manage without the team. So I understand their sacrifice. I keep hearing this will be resolved in June but we need to do so beforehand because we all want the Curva Sud there. The derby gets people’s pulses racing. Everyone’s heartbeat sounds the same, even from Testaccio, so from that perspective we all feel the same about the derby because we’re well aware of how many hearts beat for Roma.”
Lazio have thus far fared better against the top sides and the onus will be on you tomorrow. How do you approach a game like this?
“We’ll try to win the match. They’re a good side and have performed well against the top teams because they have a decent squad. They have an excellent coach in Stefano Pioli. I know him and have seen the work’s he done. He’s a consummate professional and the team will definitely know how to set up thanks to the instructions he gives them. But we have to take the game to them and win it because that’s our aim. We want to be a side that looks to win the match regardless of who we’re up against.”
Besides Totti, how difficult is it to keep Daniele De Rossi on the bench too?
“If you ask me, it’s a lot easier than it seems. I try to pick the best team, just like the lyrics of the Champions League anthem. To aspire to that competition which we’re desperate to play in, we have to constantly keep it in mind. Roma want to be a fixture at that level. This always has to be our aim. Daniele has been training brilliantly of late, take yesterday’s session for example. Take nothing for granted, Daniele could start but we have to assess the side’s balance and what other players can offer in his position. De Rossi knows how coaches’ minds work so I’m relaxed about that.”
In some of the derbies with you at the helm, the team have made a bad start. How can you avoid that?
“I’m all square in terms of my derby record when it comes to wins, draws and losses. I have to accept those results although I do remember certain instances of those matches that went against us. In certain instances the team were a bit on edge because they were too tense and didn’t fully grasp just how good they were. I believe this current crop know how good they are, they’ve realised it and they won’t make mistakes like that. Lazio are a good team though and they will get on top during certain spells of the game. Before that period we got a good result and we were driven on. We came out of it struggling and then there were other derbies where we really pushed on from it, like the 11 wins in a row.”
Do you try and play down a game like this or talk it up?
“We have other things to focus on, we want to test ourselves against the very best. We want to broaden our horizons and see what’s out there and pit our wits against the best European football has to offer. Clearly this is a very important match but the derby mustn’t become our raison d'être.”
If you can change the team’s culture, could Roma become an even more attractive prospect for players?
“The players know the situation. They can relax, there’s no point in them wasting energy on this. First and foremost they know the focus between now and the end of the season is Roma’s results. Then those who want to leave can do so. It might be the case that we choose to sell someone and they can relax, they already know, so there’s no problem. Those aspiring for greatness must first of all prove they’re top players. If you think you’re good you have to show that and then, when you see it through, you reveal your ambition and there’s nothing wrong with that. They’ll be allowed to join who they like. You can’t force anyone to stay. People have always played football and always will. Our aim is to have players who fight to achieve the targets we’ve always spoken about.”
Radja Nainggolan has said that Roma are no worse than Juve or Napoli.
“If he’s said that and the gap is what it is, that means we have to produce more to bridge it. If he claims we’re as good as sides ahead of us that means something has gone awry.”
Imperium Partners
Centurion Partners
