Gasperini: “I came to Roma to build something new.”

Gasperini: “I came to Roma to build something new.” Gian Piero Gasperini spoke from the Trento Sports Festival. From individuals to his relationship with the fans, through memories and the future. On his arrival in Rome: “Everyone was eagerly awaiting my first training session, especially me, who was embarking on a new adventure, but also the players who arrived extremely well-prepared, perhaps even a little fearful of my preparation. The first thing I expressed? To go and get the ball ourselves, without waiting for the opponent to lose it.” On Hermoso and Mancini: “I have a gladiatorial defense, one of the best in Europe for months: I knew Mancini from his time at Atalanta, Hermoso has grit but also technique, then I add Ndicka and Svilar. I told Mancini that his previous attitude was holding him back: that’s the first thing we tried to work on. It turned out to be a fantastic season, which brought him back to the national team.” On Cristante: “I knew him when he was young, and he’s a player who puts the team before himself. He had important technical qualities, but when we signed him, he was going through a difficult time. I was coaching Atalanta at the time, we had just sold Gagliardini to Inter, and I chose him after a chat in the hotel that convinced me 100% that he was motivated and ready.” On Dybala: “He’s off to a great start; he’s enthusiastic and strong. There were years when he had physical weaknesses that held him back, and I always thought it was a training issue. Everyone told me he had silky muscles, but I discovered he has a special fiber, and with the right training, he’s proven to be a healthy and capable player. Proof of what I always say: training is crucial. And in fact, now he’s back to sprinting, beating opponents, and soon we’ll see him back to shooting from outside like in the old days.” On the best players he’s coached: “I’ve been fortunate to have many strong players, including Dybala, who is among the best. Jeda at Crotone, Milito at Genoa, Ilicic and Papu Gomez at Atalanta come to mind. They’re the ‘poets,’ players who strike a special chord.” On the young players: “Pisilli was already well-known when I arrived, but I brought Lulli into the group in the summer when he wasn’t even a regular starter in the Primavera. And his responses were immediately convincing. Romano? He’s a very, very interesting player, but he shouldn’t be judged on one bad match. We adults need to be more careful in our judgments. His transfer to Cagliari? Unfortunately, it was due to capital gains and the balance sheet, which the club needed. Sometimes the best players have to be ‘sacrificed’ for the sake of the balance sheet. And that’s truly a shame.” On Malen: “Sometimes the planets align and often unthinkable things happen. He was a well-known player, between Aston Villa and Borussia. It was a transfer opportunity and we seized it immediately: we needed a striker and he was available. He’s incredibly quick with three touches in succession, and the closer he is to the opponent’s goal, the more devastating he can be. I knew right away he would be important, but I never would have imagined these numbers. Higuain’s record? I play around with it a bit, also to motivate him…” On Inter: “I always look at our history, but the main opponent changes from time to time. Before, it was Juventus, who won nine championships in a row, now it’s Inter, who are the obvious winners. It’s still nice to compete, and now the feeling is that we’ve gotten closer to the reigning champions.” On changes: “We all have key moments, but then you find another, even bigger one. One when you stop being a player and become a coach. After 10 years, I chose to join Crotone in Serie C, and I’m making a long leap. The most recent one was definitely the one I made when I left Bergamo. I arrived with the belief that it was more of a necessity than a choice, and that it was time to cross the Rubicon. You do it with a lot of doubts, but you know that once you make it, you can’t go back, and it worked out well.” On Como: “They’re a good team and a good club. They believe in their football, they’ve made great strides. When you see people working so well, you have to admire them. It’s not a flash in the pan because they have resources and ideas. They’re a team we’ll have to compete with.” On Roma fans: “It was a positive surprise. From the outside, it’s seen as a blind environment, with great enthusiasm and then depression if things go badly. I found extraordinary enthusiasm, an incredible example of passion for their team. A truly beautiful attachment. But it’s accompanied by a century-old maturity that has seen it all. I think the Roma fans are mature, they know how to distinguish themselves, and right now they’re satisfied with the team they have. This is a great result for me, a fan base that reflects itself in the team. It would be extraordinary to win the Scudetto, but right now we have a great atmosphere, with great energy, and we approach matches with a desire to win.”