Gasperini: “They told me you can’t play football at Roma, but that’s a lie.” | OneFootball

The Circolo Canottieri Aniene hosted the presentation of journalist and writer Giancarlo Dotto’s latest book, “Maradona’s Last Dance,” dedicated to Diego Armando Maradona.

Gian Piero Gasperini also attended the event.

On his 68th birthday, the coach spoke about the Maradona years, as well as his first spell in Rome. Gasperini began his remarks by speaking about his footballing idols: “I was lucky enough to play in Serie A in the 1980s, and the Italian league boasted world-class players like Matthaus and Maradona.”

“As a child, I followed Juventus, and my idol was Sivori. He was the player we all tried to imitate. It’s hard to say who the best player is; we saw each other less often before. There were stickers and a lot of ideology surrounding the player, and you overstated him to the limit.”

Gasperini also spoke about the passion for football in Rome: “It’s incredibly strong here, but it’s also true that there’s incredible passion everywhere, even in Bergamo and Genoa. Rome is a different size; it’s a very large city with a strong Lazio and Roma following. There’s a strong sense of connection with the city that’s hard to find elsewhere. Milan is another large metropolis, but the attachment is different. I’ve always been told that nothing can be done in Rome, but I disagree.”

“We’ve had some good times; I don’t know when it will get worse and perhaps become difficult. There are lots of radio stations; if you go in a taxi, they’ll talk about Rome, but I think it’s a strength. If things go well, it’s a great boost.”

The coach then highlighted the importance of experiencing the cities in which he coaches: “I’ve always done it, I’ve always tried not to live on the fringes. I was used to a smaller city, but I didn’t want to live outside. It’s beautiful. I have a long commute to go, but when I walk down Via dei Serpenti, I see the Colosseum and I start the day off right.”