At 00:30 on September 15 Beijing time (CEST), Roma will play away at Torino in the 4th round of Serie A. Ahead of the match, Roma head coach Gian Piero Gasperini attended a press conference. This article is the first part of the press conference.

Hello, Coach. I'd like to start with some history: the Torino versus Roma match was also the match where Donyell Malen made his debut on January 18th. Since then, among the top five European leagues, no other striker has matched his statistics – the closest striker is still 5 goals behind him. In Serie A, he has played 21 matches and scored 19 goals. My question for you: did you believe back then that he would reach such heights? I assume you wouldn't have signed him if you didn't believe in him, but did you foresee that he would demonstrate such remarkable consistency? What is so special and unique about him?

Indeed, such statistics are difficult to predict; these numbers are extraordinary, well beyond ordinary levels, and represent a very special achievement created by this player. His consistency is particularly rare, especially considering how many matches have been played, so these statistics certainly hold great significance. Not only in the sheer number of goals, but in how those goals were scored – the characteristics and quality they demonstrated. So it's clear that when I signed Donyell Malen, I knew he would be an important player for us, but obviously his current performances have far exceeded expectations.

Good day, Coach. I'd like to ask you about Rodrigo Mora. In your opinion, has he integrated well into Roma's attacking tactical system? Has he become a reliable player capable of managing the game for nearly 90 minutes or even the full 90 minutes?

What I see is what everyone sees: he is an exceptionally talented player, but he is also very young, which people often overlook. He is still a player who needs to continue improving and developing, mainly in terms of physical conditioning and also tactically. Obviously, he hasn't been with the team for long, but in the matches he's played – whether starting or coming off the bench, he's played in almost every game – he's shown the level expected from a young player with elite-level talent. I don't think there is any young player his age in modern football playing such a central, leading role as he is now.

Hello, Coach. I'd like to ask about the defense. With the increase in squad depth, I'd like to know – for example, Leonardo Balerdi, who seems to be a very well-prepared player – will the defensive starting hierarchy change compared to the original fixed core structure? What are your thoughts on having greater depth in the defense rotation?

No, I'm asking everyone to stop discussing topics like "starting hierarchy" or "ranking systems." Honestly, this is very unfair to the players who are giving their all. This approach of constantly trying to divide players into different tiers or thinking "if one plays, the other is benched" is meaningless for these players and has no practical benefit for the team. They all make significant contributions. Giraldi has developed, and Koulierakis has joined, which is certainly an important additional option.

Regarding Leonardo Balerdi, we've known him for a long time; his performances at Marseille were quite remarkable. He's not a young player who just arrived and needs time to adapt; we knew we were acquiring a significant player. After the upcoming international break, we'll have a very congested fixture schedule. If we start thinking along the lines of "whoever plays is the starter, while the other becomes frustrated and becomes a backup," and then replace someone else for the next match, the team simply cannot function that way.

For top teams competing in the Champions League, the situation is quite different. Teams playing in the Champions League have several elite-level players who rotate, and there's no need to constantly determine who's moving up and who's moving down. Otherwise, it will only continuously create unnecessary conflict instead of bringing the team momentum or cohesion.

Hello, Coach. You have extensive experience managing mental and physical condition during European continental competitions and multi-front campaigns. In the past at Atalanta, you led the team in the Champions League and Europa League. Roma has just gone through two psychologically and mentally exhausting matches. I'd like to know what you see as the biggest risk when preparing for the next match? Because usually after a major challenge, the subsequent matches are often the most psychologically difficult. How will you address this risk? And have you already discussed this with the team?

We must always maintain a unified team like the one we're fortunate to have now, and we absolutely cannot weaken it at this level. We must keep a high degree of trust in everyone on the team; every player here is very much what we need, so when they take the field, they do so with maximum confidence.

Furthermore, there is no single standard model for dealing with a congested schedule. Often we need to act step by step, and we hope to make the right decisions sometimes. Because the number of days between two matches is really very limited. It's like this now, and it will be even more so after the international break – then we're facing an extremely congested schedule for several weeks in a row, with even greater fixture congestion than this week.

The principle I usually follow: when I see a player in good form and feeling great, he continues to play; when I see a player showing signs of fatigue, I substitute him and wait for him to recover his physical condition and return to his previous best state. Because all players – just like us in life – have cycles of peaks and troughs in form; it's impossible to always maintain the same level. So we must learn to capture each player's best form at different times, while understanding that everyone can be trusted. No one is excluded; this player plays in this match, that player plays in the next match, and this will be even more relevant during the long period of continuous matches ahead. Otherwise we'll fall into an endless spiral of debate, which will only harm the team.

Переведено ИИ.

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