Gasperini previews Roma’s last match of 25/26: “It wasn’t an easy season, but we remained united.” | OneFootball

Gian Piero Gasperini, as usual, spoke at a press conference on the eve of the match awaiting his Roma.

In the final round of Serie A, the Giallorossi will face a relegated Verona, ready to leave everything on the pitch.

The coach began by commenting on Koné’s condition and the feelings in the locker room: “Konè has recovered, he’s not 100%, but he’s available. The rest of the team? The heat is affecting them, and then there’s the anticipation. Tomorrow is an important match, we need to get there in good shape. Everyone is ready, we’ve always been united, and the Champions League would be the right goal.”

Gasperini then took stock of his first year in the capital: “It hasn’t been an easy year. I tried to bring my method, which allowed me to build my career. I was fortunate to be credible to the lads, and it allowed us to reach the 70 points we have now. Eleven months have passed, it’s a long time, but now the priority is trying to crown a result that at times seemed distant. It will depend on us; football is often cruel in these cases. We need to focus on the good results, not the bad ones.”

The coach has no doubts about his Roma team’s performance: “We’ve had some excellent matches; in the second half of the season we improved and scored a lot. If you score, maybe you can turn games around, like in Parma. I was confident in ourselves, that the team could make this final push. Of course, it also depended on the other teams, but that doesn’t take anything away from our work.”

Gasperini then explained that setting a fourth-place finish as a goal helped the team: “This year, we set the Champions League as a higher goal, but it was a push to go beyond our limits. We all sensed that people wanted the Champions League, it’s a way to make people happy.”

The Giallorossi coach also returned to the importance of the club’s presence: “The club’s constant presence is certainly fundamental, also to avoid unpleasant situations. It’s something that gives strength to the team, to the atmosphere. It also helps us to provide clear and quick responses. It will be a great gamble. I hope that tomorrow’s result will help us see a united Roma, with shared goals, not separate ones. Their increased presence can help all of this.”

Gasperini also discussed Soulé’s situation: “Soulé had a positive start to the season, but then had a long layoff that slowed him down. Last year he played in the fifth position, but his characteristics were attacking. The important thing is that he’s healthy; once he overcomes his groin pain, he’ll become stronger.”

Regarding the importance of the Champions League, the coach said: “The Champions League is important for revenue and for the appeal it guarantees when it comes to future transfer targets. It would also allow you to distance yourself from your rivals in Serie A and would mean being among the top four in Italy and among the European elite.”

Regarding the team’s ability to react to negative moments, the coach said: “The team’s reaction has always come after defeats. It’s a great sign of the strength of this group. A mistake is never a failure. Even from negative situations, we have always been capable of doing something better.”

Mile Svilar was named Serie A’s best goalkeeper yesterday, and the coach commented on the Giallorossi’s importance: “Someone said, ‘Give me a goalkeeper who saves and a striker who scores.’ The results are there to see.”