Gasperini: “This team is outstanding”

Here is what he had to say.

Certain nights are important because they show a team’s character as well as their mental strength in handling negative situations. The team delivered in this respect, didn’t they?

“I have to say that they’ve always showed these skills. You can say many things about us, but from this point of view, this team has always been outstanding, ever since the very beginning. Whoever they play against, these things are never lacking. Then of course it also comes down to some key moments, because conceding the way we did, with a back-pass, was a tough one to take.

“The best scenario to try to equalise was a set-piece, a long throw-in, which is what happened in the end, even though [Jan] Ziolkowski, who had already come close to scoring earlier in the game, did an excellent job. He really scored a great goal.”

Is it true that there’s a lack of courage in giving young players a chance? Should there be a combination of youngsters and experienced players to guide them? Is that a difficult job?

“Maybe it’s because I’ve been doing this for ages, but I’d say no. I’ve always been fortunate enough to have a very responsible core group, both in Bergamo and here in Rome. An extraordinary core group that always believes in young players and offers words of encouragement. In a way they pass on their own DNA, and apart from what I can do, they truly are role models for these young players: they are a source of confidence and professionalism.”

Would you say that Roma are one of the front runners?

“I don’t know whether we are or not. In fact, it wouldn’t have been that much of a disappointment if we had had to go through the play-offs, because our matches have helped us grow. We have certainly improved by playing many games. We’ve become more confident and all the players have become very motivated. It wouldn’t have been a problem.

“I sometimes hear things that are just over the top: the prospect of not qualifying for the Round of 16 was seen as a defeat. Playing two additional matches certainly would not have been a problem. In fact, it would’ve been an opportunity to strengthen our squad depth.  

“Our only problem is the number of injuries. When you play many games, you end up with more injuries, and that’s the only negative aspect of it. Apart from that, today too, I saw a very different team for the first 10 minutes, but they held their own very well and immediately created some chances, by playing with momentum and great personality. If it were up to me, I’d play a lot more games and do a lot less training. The players too sometimes prefer playing to training [laughs].”

So Gasperini’s training sessions…

“I’ve become very nice; I barely train them anymore. We’re playing every three days, so what kind of training are we supposed to do? In fact, the games end up being our training sessions. I’m serious: matches are the best way to improve and grow. There’s also the other side of the coin, namely injuries, and that unfortunately can take a toll on the team. You go into crucial games and you have several players injured. If you don’t have a very good squad, it’s going to be hard.”

It seems as though the team’s self-esteem and character are improving.

“We’d already come from behind twice against Torino in Coppa Italia and once in the Europa League: lately we haven’t scored much, but we’ve had a two-goal average for some time now. And we’ve been creating many more chances too.”

“Tonight’s game was clearly tough because all teams now exploit of the other team’s one-man disadvantage, so they pull your defender out of position, force you to shift across constantly and track back with your forwards; this leaves their midfielders with the time and space to pick out the strikers. It makes everything much harder.”