Despite Roma’s loss of Mile Svilar prior to the match due to injury and Donyell Malen during it after a red card, the Giallorossi more than held their own this weekend against Como. The 0-0 draw was yet another example of Roma’s ability to meet the moment and the match as it comes to them, with backup goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini putting in a man-of-the-match level performance alongside strong performances from the club’s center-backs.
There’s not much time for Roma to pat themselves on the back,
however, as they are now heading into the depths of a truly daunting stretch of matches. That starts with a Champions League showdown with José Mourinho and Real Madrid. For his part, Mourinho has been nothing but complimentary of Roma, their management, their manager, and their fans leading into this one, and the tifosi have returned the favor, making several murals in Rome honoring The Special One. Still, Gian Piero Gasperini has to be hoping that he’s able to put on more of a special display than Mourinho, who delivered the club’s first title in some time with their Conference League win in 2022. GPG spoke to the media about the excitement of playing a club like Madrid, his expectations for his side as they face a challenging run of matches, and some transfer rumors that are still bubbling around the Giallorossi.
Is this perhaps a good time to be playing a top club like Real Madrid?
“I don’t know. We’ll find out tomorrow. It’s certainly a good spell for us. We’re keen to see how we measure up against one of the best teams in Europe. They’re a team with incredible players, although they perhaps need a bit of time to settle in as they have a new coach and a different way of playing. That said, they still managed to beat Inter in the Champions League. It’s a prestigious fixture and an important one for the standings.”
Real are one of the world’s biggest clubs. What do Roma need to do to bridge the gap with the top clubs on the international stage?
“It’s not easy to make comparisons with Real Madrid because of everything the club represents: they’re the world’s most successful club, and the one with the most fans across the globe. This is not the yardstick we should be comparing ourselves with. We need to compare ourselves to them on the pitch, in the game. Recently we’ve played against Inter and Como, two of the best teams in Italy, and now we’re facing one of the best in Europe. Our aim is to match them and see how well we can compete.”
Jose Mourinho meant a lot to Roma. How do you think the Olimpico will react?
“It’s only right because the fans adored Mourinho. He deserves everything they want to show him. There are feelings you can’t always control. However, I’m sure that when the match kicks off, all those feelings will be put aside and the Roma fans will cheer only for their team.”
You’ve faced Mourinho several times before. In what ways is your Roma team superior and in what ways inferior to his Roma side?
“They’re different teams. His Roma was a team that, at the start, had new owners and there was huge emotional and financial investment. Ours is a team that is improving and a very tough, very determined team. There’s a fantastic mood in the camp and this is also a team that has earned its place in the Champions League. People sometimes forget that. Some people think a trophy is more important, but getting into the Champions League is more important because it gives the club the resources to aim higher and keep improving.”
Will you ask for Endrick in the January transfer window?
“I don’t think so. The January window will come around but right now it’s really of no interest to us. We’ve just started this run of games and we’re focused on this, as the fans and the whole city are. It’s been many years in the making. This club hasn’t been in this situation for seven or eight years so we’re going to enjoy it.”
Will you take a different defensive approach to tomorrow’s game, perhaps like in the second half against Como?
“Naturally when you’re playing with ten men or in any case with fewer players it’s a different type of game. I think our approach has got us to where we are now – finishing third last season and finally getting the club back into the Champions League. I don’t think we want to change that.
“We all know how good Real Madrid are but they’re not the first top-level team we’ve played against. We know Real are a team that, just when you think you have them on the ropes, can score against you. They can create danger out of nothing. That’s what great teams and great players do. We’ll need to be very careful but I don’t think we need to change the way we play.”
You were something of a novelty when you first played in Europe, introducing new ideas onto a stage where everything was known to everyone. Do you think you can build on that quarter-final against PSG? Could you achieve more than you did with that Atalanta team in the Champions League?
“That’s certainly my aim and my hope. You need lots of things and we only started last year. Atalanta started further back than when I joined Roma and climbed a long way up. We didn’t win the Champions League but we won the Europa League. Atalanta have played in the Champions League in five of the last seven years, and when they didn’t, we won the Europa League, which itself is a very tough competition.
“However, this is a problem for all the Italian teams. It’s been a long time since Inter won the Champions League in 2010, and before Atalanta I think the last Italian side to win the competition was back in the ’90s. That’s why we can’t be making any bold statements: Italian clubs can’t afford to come out and say they want to win the Champions League or other European competitions. We all need to keep growing. That’s what we’re trying to do at Roma, but there’s still a long way to go.”
If you could take one thing from Mourinho, what would it be?
“That depends. There was Mourinho’s Inter team and it was harder to win then. I played against him several times when he was at Roma, but Atalanta had grown and were playing in the Champions League instead of Roma. The results reflect that. Jose’s results and his career achievements speak for themselves: he’s one of the most successful coaches of all time. If I had to take something from him, I’d take his ability to get clubs to spend lots of money and buy him amazing players. He excels at that.”
What shape are the players in after a tiring game against Como? How are Kostantinos Koulierakis and Bryan Cristante?
“Koulierakis rejoined the group yesterday and trained with those who didn’t play in Como. Cristante needs a bit more time. Yesterday we had a good session with those not involved in Como, while all those who did play will have their first session now, after this press conference. We don’t have any particular issues. We just need to see how well they’ve recovered because the Como game took a lot out of them, having to play most of it with ten men. That said, morale is good and we’re ready to play this kind of match.”
What kind of Real Madrid are you expecting?
“As I said before, they perhaps need a bit of time to bed in. They’ve changed their style of play and coach but they have so many resources and I expect they’ll only get better with time. They’re still an incredibly dangerous team that can win a game in an instant. From a purely aesthetic point of view, they have room for improvement and I think they will improve in that sense.”
Where would you rank Real Madrid among Europe’s best teams?
“I think we’ll have to see how this Champions League pans out. We’ll see this year where Real Madrid are, because when you have the likes of [Kylian] Mbappe, Vinicius, [Yan] Diomande and all the others, another seven or eight, [Jude] Bellingham and so on without naming them all, they’re incredible players who can win you the game at any moment. Perhaps they’re not quite so compact as a team yet because they’re still working on that. The Champions League will be useful because it’s a competition they’re at home in where they can test themselves against opponents who at the moment look like more of a team than Real Madrid, albeit with less talent. The Champions League will tell us where Real Madrid rank this year.”
