Roma coach José Mourinho publicly expressed his frustration over the recent defeat against Real Madrid, and coach Gasperini responded with an appeal to remain calm and focused. In an interview held the evening before the match against Genoa, Gasperini reiterated his respect for the opinions of others, but underlined that some of them have greater weight than others. He also accused the team of showing "little organisation" in some corner situations, but also acknowledged that "up until that point everything had gone well".
The Roman coach asked to "cheer up the environment" after the defeat against Real and explained that Roma is going through a "psychological backlash". Despite this, he insisted that the team had shown value in matches against Inter, Como and Real and that "there are unthinkable things like Malen's sending off". Gasperini also stated that the team must feel the freedom to express themselves and that the next match against Genoa will require "strength, energy and enthusiasm". He specified that the squad is in emergency due to injuries and suspensions: Koné, Dybala, Svilar, Cristante and Malen are out. For this, the team will have to count on reserve players and an "expanded number" of at least 20 players, in view of the numerous competitions in which Roma is involved.
Gasperini also spoke of the need to "expand the squad" and make the most of the spring players who could make their debut. He underlined the importance of not suffering "blackouts" during decisive matches and praised the growth of Mora and the motivation of De Roon, who has proven to be a reliable player. He also mentioned Pellegrini, who is regaining form, and expressed confidence in the team's ability to overcome the difficulty faced last week.
The Roman coach concluded the interview with a message of encouragement: "Roma doesn't move back an inch." He invited the fans to remain united and support the team, recalling that Roma have demonstrated that they have the strength necessary to face big matches. With the match against Genoa just around the corner, Gasperini asked the players to maintain concentration and make the most of the opportunities that arise, in view of a season still full of challenges.