Gasperini’s pre-match presser ahead of Torino game: “Very happy about Malen, he will be important for us.” | OneFootball

After their Coppa Italia defeat a few days ago, Roma are preparing to face Torino for the third time this season, this time in the league at the Granata’s home ground.

Roma are chasing their third consecutive league win after victories against Lecce and Sassuolo.

On the eve of the match, Gian Piero Gasperini spoke at a press conference from Trigoria.

On Commisso’s passing and Bove’s contract termination: “I join in the mourning for the loss of Rocco Commisso and I join Fiorentina in mourning. I experienced a tragedy with this club, like Barone’s, with a match we were supposed to play that was then postponed: in short, we all experienced it. It’s clearly disappointing, especially for a club that has been so devastated by these events.”

“This morning Bove was also here; he has terminated his contract and will be playing in England. This, at least, is great news for him, for the boy, who is finally returning to play football, something he so desperately desires. So, both bad news and good news.”

On the injury situation and the signings of Vaz and Malen: “The team’s situation is improving. Ndicka is back, we’ve overcome our suspensions. Pellegrini is back up front, and most likely Ferguson too. He picked up a bruise but seems to have recovered, he can be called up.”

“Vaz and Malen? They’ve had two and one training session, they’re two different deals: one is on the horizon, Vaz. He has quality. Malen is a Dutch international, I’m very happy with his arrival. It was possible thanks to Ryan Friedkin’s presence, it was completed quickly. I’m convinced he can do very well.”

“Malen with another striker? We’ll see. Right now he’s a centre-forward. He has pace and shooting ability, with both feet and power. He needs to play close to the goal. Malen was a major opportunity, and we seized it, whereas when deals become lengthy, they’re difficult to pull off. I never spoke to Raspadori, but I did with Malen. And in three days, we closed the deal.”

On the many young players and Soulé’s position: “It’s not possible. But let’s say we have a foot in both camps: a competitive core. And to be that, we need to improve in attack, with players like Malen, but the club must also look to the future. Clearly, we can’t immediately ask the young players to be competitive against the big teams. We’re trying to build for the future, something that will last, without having to restart every year.”

“Soulé? We’ve been through weeks of total emergency, so we’ve adapted everyone a bit, and he’s done well. I believe in these things and not in players who only play one position, except goalkeeper… Or maybe not even them, given the evolution they’ve undergone in recent years. He’s certainly a valuable player.”

On Baroni and Torino: “He’s done a great job wherever he’s been. He’s appreciated, even here in Rome. Torino is always a team that never manages to make a leap forward, but he can bring about improvement. That’s how Torino is. Maybe they’ll make some changes; they have a deep squad. I’d also be happy to replay the cup match, regardless of the result.”

“We had chances and came back twice. Arena could have scored twice in the final minutes, but perhaps it would have been too much. I was satisfied with the performance. We’re two teams that know each other, let’s hope the incidents turn out a little better. I don’t believe in the black beasts; every match is a different story. We’re coming into the game very motivated by the standings.”

On a possible defensive reinforcement and Ndicka: “Talk to those who work in the transfer market, fortunately it’s not my area of ​​expertise. Opportunities come and go in the space of an hour. I’m a man of the field and I believe things need to be done quickly. How’s Ndicka doing? It’s a good topic. When you return from these cups, you need to get back into a different routine. Let’s hope he gets back on track immediately, with the same focus he had before leaving. Let’s hope Roma is back in top form tomorrow.”

On El Aynaoui, Ziolkowski, and Ghilardi: “We immediately knew El Aynaoui was a valuable player, but one we needed to get to know a little. He was expected to be more of an attacking midfielder, but then he proved to be a reliable defensive midfielder as well. He’s a very strong athlete and a mature, intelligent guy. He’s already grown and can do so further. Ziolkowski and Ghilardi are two guys who are eager to improve. They fit the future parameters we were talking about. Sometimes they cost you something, but we’re working to ensure consistency.”