Gian Piero Gasperini expressed his opinion on Real Madrid in an interview with Sky Sport, before the Champions League match against the Spanish team. The Roma coach underlined that, despite the presence of top-level players, Real sometimes seems to lose a bit of compactness on the pitch. “Real has many very strong players and because of this they perhaps lose a bit of compactness, but they have incredible value and talent,” he said, highlighting how individual quality can sometimes compromise team cohesion.
In the context of the match, Gasperini recalled Atalanta's recent victory over Real Madrid and expressed hope of being able to play in full eleven against the renowned Spaniards. “We hope to play with eleven men in the meantime,” he said, referring to the need to have all the players available to face an opponent of such calibre. He also mentioned the recent match against Como, in which Roma had to defend themselves, but expressed optimism for the next match, where the objective is to "play a different type of match".
The coach then spoke about Mourinho, citing envy for his ability to buy high-value players like Diomandè at high prices. “Many things… but also having Diomandè bought at those figures… that's a great skill,” he commented, recognizing Mourinho's management wisdom. Gasperini also made a nod to his own birth day with a colleague, highlighting the difference between the way they are welcomed and the recognition on the pitch.
As for Roma's players, Gasperini highlighted the importance of Malen and Mbappé, describing Malen's numbers as "unexpected but still valid" and underlining that the attacker is what the team was looking for. He also mentioned the recent acquisition of Greenwood from Fenerbahce and expressed hope to "hug" all his players after the match, wishing for a positive result and a moment of celebration for the team.
Finally, Gasperini concluded the interview with a message of motivation, underlining that Roma is trying to play a match that has been missing for some time and hopes to be able to hug all the happy players at the end of the match. The match against Real Madrid therefore promises to be a crucial opportunity for Roma, who will try to exploit the quality of their players and maintain the compactness necessary to face one of the most successful teams in Europe.