Roma not aiming for Serie A title 'but you never know', says Gasperini
MILAN, Italy: Gian Piero Gasperini said Tuesday he does not expect Roma can challenge for the Serie A title in his first season after leaving Atalanta "but you never know."
The 67-year-old has replaced local hero Claudio Ranieri in the Roma dugout and is gunning for a first top-four finish since 2018.
"Our best result would be Champions League qualification. Right now Roma can't win the Scudetto but you never know," Gasperini told reporters.
"My goal is to make this team better... create a strong core group of players who can give us consistency, and form the basis into which the following season you can add more players who raise the level. That's the first thing I'm aiming for."
Gasperini turned Bergamo club Atalanta from provincial also-rans in the shadow of the Milan giants down the road to one of Italy's best teams and even Europa League winners last year.
He signed a three-year contract with Roma, one of Italy's biggest clubs with a large and passionate support but who have only won Serie A three times, the last coming exactly 24 years ago on Tuesday.
They have been overtaken by fierce rivals Napoli whose recent Scudetto triumph took their tally to four, and two in the past three seasons.
Roma finished fifth last season and missed out on the Champions League on the final day of the campaign after Ranieri came out of retirement to drag them away from near the relegation places.
Gasperini chose Roma over Juventus who tried to convince him to move to Turin after failing to snatch club icon Antonio Conte from Napoli.
Ranieri will work alongside Gasperini and Roma's American owners the Friedkin Group, and he confirmed to reporters that sporting director Florent Ghisolfi will be replaced.
"The club is assessing a few names, you will know as soon as possible the next sporting director," said Ranieri.
Gasperini is a spiky character prone to angry outbursts at journalists and he will have to deal with both an expectant, highly-strung fan base and an intense media environment in the Italian capital.
There are a slew of radio stations, websites and even a daily newspaper entirely dedicated to Roma, which have caused bust-ups with previous coaches and can create enormous pressure if results are not good.
"Ever since I arrived people have been warning me about the atmosphere here in Rome, that it's a difficult place to obtain yor goals, football-wise, for a whole different range of reasons," said Gasperini.
"I believe that this should be a strength rather than a weakness. There are a lot of you, and then people talk about the radio stations and the pressure.
"What I see is great enthusiasm, a great passion for football and a huge desire to reach certain goals. I think all that energy needs to be channelled in the right direction."
Roma begin their first Serie A season under Gasperini with the visit of Bologna, currently scheduled for Sunday August 24, while the first Rome derby of the season comes in the fourth week of the campaign.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
4 hours ago
- The Sun
Brazilian flair trumps European complacency as Flamengo humble Chelsea
FLAMENGO delivered a potent reminder that the so-called superiority of European teams in club football is fading quickly after the Brazilian outfit beat Chelsea 3-1 in a Club World Cup contest that felt like a home match thousands of miles from Rio. The Brazilian champions turned Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field into a tropical carnival, with 55,000 passionate supporters creating an atmosphere that was in stark contrast to Chelsea's casual approach to the tournament. Just 24 hours after Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca said the competition had 'a pre-season feeling' to it and that he would rotate key starters throughout the group stage, his side became the second European giants in two days to be humbled by Brazilian opposition. Friday's result followed Paris St Germain's shock 1-0 defeat by Botafogo a day earlier that had ended Europe's 13-year dominance over South American opposition in intercontinental club football. Pedro Neto's opener for Chelsea proved to be a false start as they were given the run around following the interval. Flamengo, under the tactical guidance of former Blues defender Filipe Luis, responded with a ruthlessness that their theoretically superior rivals could not match. Bruno Henrique and Danilo struck in quick succession to flip the contest, before Nicolas Jackson's reckless red card – for a studs-up challenge that illustrated Chelsea's loss of composure – paved the way for youngster Wallace Yan to deliver the coup de grace. 'When we conceded the first goal their fans started to be loud, and immediately after we conceded the second one,' Chelsea's Marc Cucurella told DAZN, his words revealing the psychological impact of Flamengo's thunderous support. Following Yan's goal, the supporters let out synchronised chants of 'olé' to hail their team's achievement. On Thursday, Botafogo put on a brilliant defensive performance to pull off the unexpected win over PSG, who had been in imperious form as they followed up their 5-0 thrashing of Inter Milan in the Champions League final by routing Atletico Madrid 4-0 in their Club World Cup opener. Botafogo's solid discipline left PSG looking feeble and a shadow of the team that dominated European football throughout the season. 'Botafogo were the team that has defended best against us all season. They were efficient. The only thing left for me is to congratulate them,' PSG boss Luis Enrique told reporters. With Lionel Messi's Inter Miami also victorious against Porto, European clubs are in danger of returning home empty-handed from a tournament they had been odds on favourite to win.
The Sun
4 hours ago
- The Sun
Flamengo, Botafogo Stun Europe as South America Shines
FLAMENGO delivered a potent reminder that the so-called superiority of European teams in club football is fading quickly after the Brazilian outfit beat Chelsea 3-1 in a Club World Cup contest that felt like a home match thousands of miles from Rio. The Brazilian champions turned Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field into a tropical carnival, with 55,000 passionate supporters creating an atmosphere that was in stark contrast to Chelsea's casual approach to the tournament. Just 24 hours after Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca said the competition had 'a pre-season feeling' to it and that he would rotate key starters throughout the group stage, his side became the second European giants in two days to be humbled by Brazilian opposition. Friday's result followed Paris St Germain's shock 1-0 defeat by Botafogo a day earlier that had ended Europe's 13-year dominance over South American opposition in intercontinental club football. Pedro Neto's opener for Chelsea proved to be a false start as they were given the run around following the interval. Flamengo, under the tactical guidance of former Blues defender Filipe Luis, responded with a ruthlessness that their theoretically superior rivals could not match. Bruno Henrique and Danilo struck in quick succession to flip the contest, before Nicolas Jackson's reckless red card – for a studs-up challenge that illustrated Chelsea's loss of composure – paved the way for youngster Wallace Yan to deliver the coup de grace. 'When we conceded the first goal their fans started to be loud, and immediately after we conceded the second one,' Chelsea's Marc Cucurella told DAZN, his words revealing the psychological impact of Flamengo's thunderous support. Following Yan's goal, the supporters let out synchronised chants of 'olé' to hail their team's achievement. On Thursday, Botafogo put on a brilliant defensive performance to pull off the unexpected win over PSG, who had been in imperious form as they followed up their 5-0 thrashing of Inter Milan in the Champions League final by routing Atletico Madrid 4-0 in their Club World Cup opener. Botafogo's solid discipline left PSG looking feeble and a shadow of the team that dominated European football throughout the season. 'Botafogo were the team that has defended best against us all season. They were efficient. The only thing left for me is to congratulate them,' PSG boss Luis Enrique told reporters. With Lionel Messi's Inter Miami also victorious against Porto, European clubs are in danger of returning home empty-handed from a tournament they had been odds on favourite to win.
The Sun
4 hours ago
- The Sun
Gallardo: Mastantuono Left Too Early for Real Madrid Move
FRANCO Mastantuono's transfer to Real Madrid came too soon, while the 17-year-old was still developing and pivotal to River Plate's future, said coach Marcelo Gallardo ahead of the Argentine team's Club World Cup match against Monterrey. Gallardo acknowledged Mastantuono's departure will leave a void in his squad after the Spanish giants completed a deal worth around $45 million with River for the teenager earlier this month. For the Argentine manager, the midfielder still needed more time to grow at the club, but he acknowledged the early transfer as an understandable part of modern football. 'It's natural, we train players for the world. Everything is happening earlier, young players are leaving faster, and I understand that those are the rules of the game,' Gallardo told ESPN on Friday. 'Our sporting project for the year was with him. We have to readjust, because there are players who, by their nature, are difficult to replace. 'We knew that Mastantuono was going to leave at some point, but fans don't enjoy it that way. The market dictates the timing.' Gallardo said he's urging Mastantuono to stay focused on the tournament despite the noise around his move. 'All I want is for him to play naturally, to try to forget about everything that's going on, which is very difficult,' he said. 'I don't talk to him about where he's going to live or anything like that. I want him to play, which is what he knows how to do.' River began their Club World Cup campaign with a 3-1 win over Japan's Urawa Red Diamonds, a result Gallardo described as key to easing early nerves. 'We are happy to be able to be in a competition like this, a new one,' he said. 'I'm excited about how it's going, it was essential to start with a win and get over the nerves. 'Now we're preparing for the match in Monterrey, which is a different level of difficulty.' Following Saturday's game against the Mexican team in Pasadena, River will face Champions League runners-up Inter Milan on Wednesday.
