This newly reimagined three-week international break has been truly interminable for club football fans, but there is finally light at the end of the tunnel. In a mere 72 hours (give or take), Roma not only returns to the pitch but does so against one of their chief competitors in the Serie A title race, Cesc Fabregas’ formidable Como side. It’s not an ideal way to return to action after a three-week pause, especially away from the Olimpico, but calcio’s return is a cause to celebrate.
However, before
we fret about the seemingly impossible task of slowing down Nico Paz and company, we’ll take another detour from the Xs and Os and explore a recent interview with Gian Piero Gasperini. Speaking to the Corriere di Bergamo, Gasp touched on a range of topics, including his son’s new vino venture, his brief spell with Inter and Roma’s Scudetto ambitions and much more!
The Cascina Gilli in Castelnuovo Don Bosco, a vineyard outside Torino owned and operated by Gasperini’s son, Davide, has recently released a new varietal named after Gasp’s preferred formation, the 3-4-3. Dubbed Fresia 343, the grapes used to make this wine carry the same DNA as the vineyard’s original vines and retail for €50/100 ml.
On his new wine and its relation to his favorite footballing modality, Gasperini waxed poetically on the roots of this system, its adaptability and how he fell under its spell:
“My Freisa ‘343’ reminds me of Atalanta,” Gasp says, referring to his family’s new wine. “The 3-4-3 has always been my basic system, although I’ve interpreted it in different ways throughout my career. It never really caught on in Italy. I brought it back from abroad, particularly from the Netherlands. And there’s no question that, so far, I’ve taken it to its highest level with Atalanta.
“The Freisa 343 isn’t sparkling wine, otherwise I’d play it up front. I see it more as a midfielder, dictating the tempo.”
“It’s the way I see football,” he adds. “But numbers only tell you so much. The most important thing is playing as a team: believing in collective effort, with the forwards defending and the defenders attacking.
“Let’s be honest: in football, just as in wine, there’s nothing new under the sun. It’s team spirit that makes the difference. You need commitment and selflessness.”
The interview then pivoted to Gasperini’s career in northern Italy, from the delirious highs of winning the Europa League with Atalanta to the lows of his spell with Inter Milan, which led him to question his methods:
“Of course I questioned my ideas; it happened several times. Being sacked by Inter was probably the lowest point. But I knew how to pick myself up. And I owe a great deal to Atalanta, who continued to believe in me even when the results weren’t coming.”
For Gasperini, Bergamo will always feel like home.
“We achieved excellent results, and not only—or even primarily—because we won the Europa League. It was also about the quality of our football and the consistency with which we secured Champions League places over nine years.
“A coach’s ability isn’t defined by a single trophy. Bergamo was the longest and most intense chapter of my life as a football nomad. I have no regrets, but I feel a deep sense of nostalgia for a community where I had become completely integrated. It’s no coincidence that I still go back often.
“I miss everything about Bergamo. Would I return? I wouldn’t rule it out. I still have a home there.”
And finally, the conversation shifted to the one thing we truly care about: can Gasperini deliver a Scudetto to Roma?
“Rome is obviously a completely different place. But it’s hardly a bad city. The biggest problem is the food. I have to be careful with carbonara—I’m putting on too much weight,” he jokes.
His tone turns more serious when the subject of the Scudetto comes up.
“Our plan was to challenge for it within three years. We certainly wouldn’t mind getting there sooner. But we know it’s a long road. In football, there are no straight lines or clearly defined paths. There will be highs and lows. If we can manage them, who knows…”
Thus far, Gasperini has managed those highs and lows with aplomb, guiding Roma to the top of the table after the first five matches of the season. If he can keep mastering life in the Eternal City, he may even shave a year off that three-year prediction. Wasting a two-goal lead against Inter before the break was a gut punch, but a decisive victory over Como on Sunday would be a hell of a way to rebound, not to mention strengthening their position at the top of the table.
