Fonseca: We're still just at the beginning

The Bergamo side are the visitors to the Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday evening, with kick-off at 19:00.

The Giallorossi go into the game with three wins in a row to their name - here is what the boss had to say heading into the latest contest...

What kind of game are you expecting tomorrow?

“We're expecting a very difficult match against an opponent with specific characteristics. They're strong physically, they're used to battling, they defend aggressively and they have great individual quality. We’re expecting a hard-fought game with lots of physical battles.”

How important is it for you to keep your feet on the ground?

“As I’ve always said, it’s important to maintain some balance. The past is the past – the only thing that counts now is our next game and we need to remain united and stay humble because we’ve won nothing yet. It’s very early to let euphoria creep in: we’ve not won anything yet. We’ve only won three games. There still a lot for us to achieve. I hope the team can do that and can keep its feet firmly on the ground.”

Racism continues to be a serious problem in Italian stadiums. In your opinion, how can the issue be tackled?

“Thankfully I’ve not witnessed incidents of racism in the games we’ve been involved in. I'm against any form of racism. It's a phenomenon we have to root out of society and football. I support any measures taken to stamp it out. Football is a sport that should bring people together and make people happy, regardless of race. I oppose all forms of racism and support any measures that help to totally eradicate it.”

Aleksandar Kolarov and Edin Dzeko both scored in the last game and have been in excellent form. How important is their contribution to the team?

“Clearly they’re great players that are very important for us. Right now we have lots of games one after the other and I would like to give them a rest, but it’s not possible. They have always shown a positive response, despite the fact that they played two games with their national teams too. They’re professionals and athletes who take great care of their fitness, which is of benefit to the whole team.”

The team has really improved in the second half in recent games. What goes on at half time?

“It’s part of the team’s development process and my adaptation to Italian football. We changed a few things after the Lazio game and the dynamic shifted. Things have gone well. The most important thing is that we continue to work hard and to improve. Every game is different in Italy – different opponent, different systems, different individual players. We have to ensure our preparation is spot on for each specific game and that we preserve our mentality. We need to continue working hard to improve.”

Justin Kluivert has played in each of the last three games. Could Nicolo Zaniolo come in to replace him tomorrow?

“You’ll have to wait and see who plays tomorrow. I’ll make a few changes, but all of the players are important. Nobody is more important than the team and all decisions are taken based on what I believe is best for the team, taking into account the nature of each specific match. Roma is more important than everything and everyone. I have various different options to decide from in attack.”

How important is Bryan Cristante to your team?

“He’s a very intelligent player who understands what I’m looking for in that position. He’s a brave player because you need to take risks in that area of the field to play the way I want to play – you’re constantly under pressure. He’s very strong defensively, which is an important quality for me in that area of the pitch. He’s got a good engine and a good passing game, which is all very important in that position. He’s one of the most important players we have, especially because of his sense of tactical balance and the work he gets through in that area of the park.”

There seems to be a lot of unity in the dressing room. Is that something you’ve worked on? Do you think the team lacked unity when you arrived?

“The past is the past. I can’t talk about the group from last year. As soon as I joined, I saw that the group was very united, very strong, pushing in the same direction. It’s a good atmosphere. These things come naturally – there was no need for me to ask them to stick together and show unity. It all came about very naturally. This is a strong group, a united group, a quality group and all of that is essential if you want to win something. It all happened very naturally and normally.”

How is Chris Smalling?

“Smalling will play. He’s available.”

Have you adjusted your game to suit Italian football?

“It’s fair to say that you’re getting the Italian-ised version of Fonseca. It’s worth stressing that Italian football is different: it requires you to be versatile, malleable. Every game is different. It would be a big mistake for a coach to come here and not realise that the football is different here. Italian football requires you to think about every detail and take measures as a result. It would be a big mistake to think that just one playing style is sufficient. That said, my core principles haven’t changed: I want the team to take the game to the opposition and keep possession in their half.”

Were you expecting Pau Lopez to adapt so quickly? Where can he still improve?

“Marco Savorani is the best person to answer questions on the technical details. When we decided to sign him, we paid close attention to his attributes. Building the play from the back is important to our way of playing and not everyone can do that as well as Pau. He is able to maintain a lot of balance in that phase of the play, helping us to build from the back.

"He has some great technical attributes. The save against Bologna was vital. I’m delighted with him, as I am with [Antonio] Mirante and [Daniel] Fuzato. They’re working hard to get a chance and they certainly will get that. Pau Lopez has adapted very well to Italian football and has been able to work with one of the best goalkeeping coaches in the world in Marco Savorani, who has worked with top goalkeepers. For that reason, I think Pau Lopez will continue to improve.”

Will you ask the wide players to help out in defence against Atalanta?

“Atalanta have some very good players up front, such as [Josip] Ilicic and [Duvan] Zapata. We’ll need to be alert to their movement. In terms of the role of the wide players, the whole team is involved in defending and pressing. I don’t want to get into the detail of the strategy. Every game is different and that will be reflected in our defending and the way we go and press the opposition. We’ve studied Atalanta closely and we’re well-prepared to take them on.”

If Gian Piero Gasperini were to ask you what he’s missing out on at Roma, how would you respond?

“I’m absolutely certain that he won’t ask me that. Tomorrow isn’t a match between Fonseca and Gasperini. He’s an excellent coach who has achieved some great results, but he’s the Atalanta manager and I’m the Roma manager. We all do our best for our teams. The most important thing tomorrow is how the teams perform on the pitch. We’ll say hello and exchange a few words before the game.”

Were you aware that you’re the only unbeaten coach in Serie A, including friendlies and league matches? Who was it that wanted to bring you to Roma?

“I’m perfectly aware that right now the team is doing well and has won three consecutive games, which has generated a lot of expectation and some euphoria. I’m against any form of euphoria, at least at this stage. Euphoria is justified after you’ve won a final or at the end of the season when you’ve achieved an objective. I’m a realistic person and the reality of the situation is that we’ve won three games in a row and that the team is developing in a positive manner. However, the most important thing for me is that we understand that tomorrow is a different game – a very difficult game.

"I am happy to keep all the rest away from the group. We’re only at the start of the season: we’re fourth and there are lots of games left to play. We’ve not won anything yet. It’s good that the people believe in us, but that’s where we need to stop and focus on the next game. We need to approach it with maximum realism, because the match tomorrow is the most important thing. We need to work hard to continue improving. This is a marathon and we’re only at the beginning. It will be long and difficult, even if we’ve got off to a good start. We can’t relax for a moment. Everyone at the club is working hard to ensure that nobody strays from this path, which requires humility and lots of hard work.”