Press Conference: Tiago Pinto reflects on January window

Tiago Pinto, the club's general manager, spoke in a press conference on Wednesday afternoon about a range of subjects, from the recently shut January transfer window to the club’s future projects.

Here’s what the Portuguese had to say.

At the moment there’s talk about the issue between [Paulo] Fonseca and [Edin] Dzeko. There was a meeting between them this morning. How is their relationship now? What’s the club’s stance and who will be captain?

“First of all, I’m sorry for the delay. I certainly don’t want to dodge the question. It’s important to clear things up.

"A lot has been said and written about this. It’s important to understand that in the world of football, we live like a family. Families have problems, they usually sort out their differences and typically, once they’ve resolved their issues, they come out stronger the other side. Edin is a fantastic professional, a brilliant footballer and a man with a very strong character. He’s made history at Roma.

"Fonseca is the leader of our sporting project and has done an excellent job here. He’s the person we’ve put our faith in for our immediate and mid-term future. Over the last few days, the coach, Edin and I have met several times with the aim of rebuilding our trust in one another. I think this was important and we all come out of them happy and safe in the knowledge that we’re all going to contribute to the success of Roma. To be honest, that’s what we must focus on.

"The biggest thing at stake is Roma’s best interests, as opposed to our own personal ones. With regard to the captain’s armband, I’m convinced that a club must focus on discipline, rules and conduct, all of which are to be followed and respected. Edin isn’t the team captain at the moment. As for the future, we’ll work hard with Roma’s best interests at the core of what we do and Edin will certainly contribute to that.”

Sticking with captains, during your first press conference, you said that it would be time to talk about the expiry of the current captain’s contract once the transfer window shut, with Lorenzo Pellegrini’s deal expiring in 2022. Will you be running against the clock with this? What’s your analysis of the January transfer window?

“As for Pellegrini, I’d like to stress that he was the only player that I singled out during my first press conference and I did that because all of us at the club – the coach, Dan and Ryan [Friedkin] – believe that he’s the embodiment of the values underpinning our project. He’s a talented youngster with a strong identity within the club, but at the same time, a team player who works hard and is fully committed.

"We’re optimistic. We’ll meet with his agent soon and intend to resolve everything. As for the transfer window, I’m an ambitious person who demands a lot of myself. In terms of incomings, I think [Stephan] El Shaarawy and [Bryan] Reynolds are important signings for the club that will slot straight into our project. I think they can help the team and get better during the remainder of the campaign. We also worked hard to find solutions for players who were playing getting less playing time, which meant they were less happy. Unfortunately, for one reason or another, those opportunities didn’t materialise, which is something I’m not pleased with myself about.”

If Roma don’t qualify for the Champions League, will the club have to sell some key players, which is what has happened under your predecessors?

“I respect the question, but it’s 3 February today. This is a question that projects us to scenarios in late May at the end of the season. I’m not able to make predictions or tell the future. I can say that we’re all committed – that goes for me, my team, the owners, the coach, the players, everyone who works at Trigoria – to building a mentality based on the day-to-day and on taking it game by game, so that we always try to get the three points to reach our targets come the end of the season. Our priority at the moment is preparing for Saturday’s game as well as can to win it.”

What’s the situation with [Javier] Pastore, [Federico] Fazio and [Davide] Santon? Will they get to the end of their contracts? How willing have they been to find a solution?

“In our experience, both in football and in sport in general, it’s normal for a player to be unhappy when he’s not playing. Professionals want to be out on the pitch, even more so in Pastore’s case, for example, given his injury troubles. As I’ve said, we’ve been working with the players’ agents to find solutions that bring together the best interests of Roma and the players, but for one reason or another, they haven’t materialised.

"It’s similar to when a team is playing in a match and creating plenty of chances, but doesn’t manage to take them. Having said that, now the market is closed, we’re a family and they’re part of it. We’ll all work as hard as we can to clinch success for Roma.”

Can you guarantee that Fonseca will still be the coach next year?

“First of all, I want to guarantee that all the news stories doing the rounds about meetings I’ve supposedly held with other coaches are simply not true. They are just lies. Nothing of the sort has ever happened.

"Secondly, Dan, Ryan and I are pleased with the job that Paulo Fonseca is doing. We’re working with him for the club’s present and future. I’d also like to add that my relationship with Paulo is very good and he isn’t worried about these rumours. He isn’t distracted and remains fully focused on our next league game on Saturday and the team’s subsequent fixtures.”

It was a tough transfer window during which no players left Roma. Are you disappointed with the behaviour of Fazio and Juan Jesus, two players who have been left out of the Europa League squad? Do you think the finances will still balance?

“That’s three different questions. The first is about our Europa League squad, which can be a maximum of 22 players. It was also off the back of the signings that we made, with two players being added and two being removed. That choice is the coaching staff’s responsibility.

"The second is about our accounts. We can’t hide the fact that the Covid-19 pandemic has generated some new and serious problems for the club and these need to be dealt with correctly, because there could be more problems further down the line otherwise. As for the third, it’s not for me to be disappointed by certain people’s behaviour. As I’ve already explained, I’ve worked hard with players’ agents in a bid to find solutions. Some had already been found, but did not materialise in the end for one reason or another. The transfer window shut on 2 February and it’s now the 3rd, so we’re all here to work hard together for Roma.”

How did the possible deal involving Alexis Sanchez and Dzeko come about? Was the decision not to go ahead influenced by the fans’ reaction?

“First of all, I’d like to echo the words of [Giuseppe] Marotta, who is a very experienced and competent director. Everything he said is true. My attitude towards you [the media] will always be open and transparent. It’s true that I met Piero Ausilio in Milan. He’s a professional who I hold in high esteem and he was particularly kind and pleasant. We spoke about many topics in a meeting, but never got as far as starting proper negotiations.

"As for the club and the fans’ reaction, I believe that a club’s greatness directly depends on the supporters’ and the fan base’s greatness. Roma is a wonderful club that is renowned the world over precisely because of the fans, which is something I respect and admire so much. I’ve also come from a club with a similar tradition. Having said that, the decisions that we have to take are linked to the club’s interests and must be in line with the strategies and our ideas to improve and build a successful team. In this case, however, none of that comes into it because we never got as far as starting negotiations.”

Will the club ask Fonseca to play Dzeko? Who will decide about the captaincy?

“They are two very different questions. The first relates to the club’s future strategy. Deciding who to give the captain’s armband to is a strategic matter that certainly involves the coach, but also the club as a whole, therefore it will need to be a joint choice. As for technical decisions, the coach has his autonomy, as it has to be. He picks the players, the formation and the substitutions. There’s no influence from the club and it couldn’t be any other way.”

Do you still believe no other directors are needed after working for Roma for a month now?

“I confirm what I’ve already said. I’m responsible for the sporting area, in close contact with Dan and Ryan. Now we’ve reached the end of the transfer window, I need time to focus on the set-up that the club revolves around.

"There are areas such as the sporting administrative office that provide support for the day-to-day running of the club that will need to be strengthened and improved, in order to have a professional, solid and strong set-up. In terms of what you call “sporting management”, there won’t be any new arrivals.”

Has Henrikh Mkhitaryan told you he wants to take up the offer of a contract renewal?

“Micki is a very important player for us. If I remember correctly, he’s ranked second in Europe for goals and assists at the moment, just behind Bruno Fernandes. This shows he’s been producing wonderful performances out on the pitch. He’s also an excellent professional and an example for everyone.

"He can be a key part of this project, and that also goes for helping out our young players. It’s true that there’s an option in his contract for a renewal, but he’s already said that he’s happy in Rome, so I’m not expecting any problems. I’ve already arranged to meet his agent soon to address this matter. Both parties plan to keep this happy connection going.”

The previous owners kept the club's operating costs high to ensure the team was competitive. Will you continue in a similar vein or do you have different ideas?

“I don't like to comment on the past. The previous owners had their own strategy, they made investments and achieved certain results. I'll let you judge it. What I can tell you is that from the first day I met Dan and Ryan, we agreed that money isn't everything. It's not a race to see who can spend the most.

"We've always said that we must be meticulous, disciplined and balanced in our management of money. We're willing to spend and make investments, but it's not so much about the quantity of money we spend as the quality. We'll need to make choices very judiciously and sign the right players to ensure Roma can compete in every competition. I think we sent out a clear message during this transfer window about what we want to do. We brought in two players who fit the description of what we're looking for: an Italy international and one of the most talented youngsters in MLS. Both deals were made with the future in mind.”

What kind of player is Bryan Reynolds? What are his strengths and weaknesses?

“Reynolds is a player we have bought for the next five years, not so that he can play against Juventus on Saturday. He hasn't played for two months. He finished the US championship and he had Covid-19. We believe a lot in him. I don't know if he will be available for the next game but I'm very happy we've signed him.

"I know how many clubs were interested in him and I'm glad he chose us. He's a player with huge potential and is just 19. He has great attacking qualities. Defensively he can improve, but he's in the right league to do that. He's very strong physically and has exceptional ability. We have a rough gem in our hands that we need to polish.”

How important is it to choose players like El Shaarawy who are so enthusiastic about being at this club?

“That's a good question. It's one of the challenges we face, and when I say 'we' I mean on a global level: identifying the right psychological and mental qualities in players. There are players who aren't able to adapt well to new surroundings. Undoubtedly a player's motivation, dedication, commitment and willingness to move to a new club are decisive when it comes to settling in.

"For me, one of the best things about this transfer window is the enthusiasm Stephan and Bryan showed in wanting to come here. In Stephan's case – and this is something I want to say publicly – he always had a very strong desire to come back to Roma. His desire was decisive – without it, it would have been difficult to make the move happen. We're very pleased to have signed a great player who buys into our project whole-heartedly.”

What's your initial assessment after your first few weeks at Roma?

“I must admit, there have been times in the last few weeks when I felt a bit like Voltaire's Candide, running into one problem after another... Joking aside, it's not been easy. I came to a new country with a new language in the middle of the January transfer window, but I've been helped by all the people who work at Roma and had the owners' backing at all times.

"I've been aided by some very capable people who I work with here on a daily basis. This club has the potential to put together an even more successful set-up for in the future. Now I can start working on that set-up, on the players, coaching staff and others who work here, and above all on developing the various club departments to make Roma even stronger.”