According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Dybala has played 343 minutes this season across 4 appearances, averaging 85.7 minutes per match. To find similar statistics, we must go back to 2016, when Paulo was just 22 years old. Ranieri and Mourinho used him cautiously, while Gasperini has reactivated him. And then there's the "Magic Kid's" wallet...

Dybala has rarely been seen like this before. So far this season, the Argentine has played 343 minutes, averaging 85.7 minutes across 4 matches, playing nearly every full match. Even in the intense and highly competitive match against Fenerbahçe, the "Magic Kid" lasted until the final whistle and was one of the most active players in the closing stages. The same happened last Saturday at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome against Atalanta, where Paulo also provided an assist for Soulé's goal in the 93rd minute.

Like His Juventus Days

In short, Dybala has been revived under Gasperini's "therapy," and while he hasn't scored yet, he consistently plays a decisive role. To find similar playing-time statistics, you'd have to go back to when he was just over 20 years old. In the 2014-15 season, he played a total of 318 minutes across 4 league appearances for Palermo. In the 2015-16 season at Juventus, he recorded 345 combined minutes across 4 league and Champions League appearances. However, this season that record is at risk of being broken—but now Dybala is 32 years old, with a long history of muscle injuries behind him that hampered his time at Roma. Now, however, the situation has changed. Gasperini has played him in every preseason friendly and adopted a different training method for him compared to the past.

Gasperini's Method

There is no cautious management, no special treatment. He has improved in muscle condition and match fitness, and the coaching staff has also adjusted his mental state. The approach of previous managers was far more careful. Mourinho once acknowledged that "Roma with and without Dybala are two different teams" because he frequently had to play without him. Ranieri also said: "I would let him play all the time, but I doubt whether he can hold up." Gasperini has completely changed his approach, even from his first season coaching Roma: in the first 3 matches of the 2024-25 season, the Argentine only played 106 minutes. Now, that figure has more than tripled. Dybala has been reborn, and with him, Roma's attacking pace looks different. During the match against Fenerbahçe, he was substituted due to cramps, which is understandable—he wasn't just running for himself but also for his teammates. Such a performance also made Gasperini smile: "Dybala is very good in consistency and quality. I can't remember how many balls he lost, and then he got cramps—maybe he wasn't the only one. Among so many strong players, he is the strongest." He will likely be rested against Torino, but nothing is certain. As long as Paulo is willing, Gasperini won't hesitate to put him back in the starting lineup.

The Bonus

Meanwhile, his salary is also going up. The more Dybala plays, the more he earns. Paulo's new contract is structured with bonuses tied to appearances, goals, and assists. It's a fairly attractive incentive clause that he negotiated. The Argentine signed a one-year contract, and to stay at Roma, he reduced his previous salary by 72%. But his confidence in his abilities led him to bet on himself. For each starting appearance in which he plays at least 45 minutes, he can earn an additional €100,000, up to a maximum of 20 matches—meaning he could earn an extra €2 million on top of his base salary of €2.2 million. If he comes on as a substitute and plays at least 20 minutes, the "Magic Kid" can earn an additional €75,000. From the 21st match played at least 45 minutes, the bonus increases from €100,000 to €150,000. In addition, there are bonuses for goals and assists, which are his specialty: for every 5 goals or assists accumulated, a payment is triggered, ranging from €100,000 to €1 million. And he already has 4.

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