Gasperini speaks to the media ahead of Atalanta clash | OneFootball

Gian Piero Gasperini is preparing to return to Bergamo as an opponent.

Tomorrow, Roma faces Atalanta in a match with a special meaning for the Piedmontese coach, who led the Nerazzurri for nine seasons, leading the club to historic results, from the 2024 Europa League to repeated Champions League qualification.

On the eve of the match, the coach spoke at a press conference about managing the team after the Christmas holidays, the players’ condition ahead of the away match, and the recent transfer rumors.

“Pellegrini and Bailey are injured, as is Pisilli, but he should recover. Hermoso has recovered. We need to see Wesley, who has some aches and pains. It’s a somewhat hectic pre-match, and we need to make some decisions. I’m convinced we’ll recover others, because playing a match like this gives you motivation.”

“As for Bergamo, I’m happy to be back; I spent nine years there. Atalanta’s history is a wonderful one; there will be time to remember it. The common denominator was president Antonio Percassi; we went on for many years with different teams and always improved. The only reason is that the ownership changed and the role of the coach was viewed differently.”

“The Europa League win, in my opinion, wasn’t the highlight. It was a rich club that achieved incredible results, with profitable balance sheets. It was extraordinary. Continuous growth, I think, was also annoying. A small but very compact city: it was its true strength. I tried to leave the team as high as possible. He was able to sell some players without touching any assets, but I left a great asset. I’m glad I came to Rome, in the seemingly most difficult situation.”

“I know Atalanta’s technical and moral value, but I’m confident in my team; we’re performing well even in emergency situations. We look forward to our goals with the confidence we’ve earned.”

“The market? Roma’s goal is to become strong. We shouldn’t sign players just for the sake of signing them, but we need strong players. This is a strange transfer market, different from other years. The big teams are unleashing themselves, something that has never happened in January. The competition is really close; within a few points, we’re playing for the Scudetto, the Champions League, or nothing. So we have to accept the challenge, the battle, and stay ready and only do what we can to improve.”

“We’d all like to have players ready right away, or even sooner to train them a bit. Those who arrive in January may have played little. I never think that whoever arrives will come in and be a hit; I always think about the team’s prospects. I don’t know how long it will take. The squad exists and has done well; there’s no need to rush into signing players or think that whoever arrives will change everything. It will take time.”

“Dybala? I like Dybala when he scores goals and when he creates goals. He’s a player who knows how to help in difficult moments; with his technique and experience, he helps us in situations where the opponent is in your half of the pitch. The important Dybala is the one who scores goals and creates goals.”