Roma not aiming for Serie A title 'but you never know', says Gasperini

New Straits Times

8 hours ago

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.