Gasperini on Roma's foundations, Cristante's injury, and Romano's sale

Bryan Cristante will miss Roma's Serie A trip to Como after the international break due to a knee injury, with his availability for the subsequent Champions League match against Real Madrid remaining in doubt. The midfielder's absence comes at a crucial point in the season, with Real Madrid's visit to the Stadio Olimpico among the most anticipated fixtures of Roma's opening campaign. Gian Piero Gasperini and Roma CEO John Galantic were both present at the Festival dello Sport in Trento, where Galantic addressed the departure of a young academy prospect. Gasperini explained the reasoning behind the sale: "The fact that Romano was sold are financial requirements and balance-sheet needs. We have seen great clubs that have had to sell important young players to remedy balance-sheet situations. This is not a good thing for our football; the best jewels must have time and opportunity to grow." Galantic separately praised Matías Soulé, describing him as another product of Roma's youth academy. "It is a very interesting boy," he said. "It was unfortunate what happened last week: it seemed we had found the player who would fix the national team and then he was excessively criticised. Perhaps adults need to stay calm in their judgement. When I saw Soulé's goal I lost my head and understood nothing anymore… that is the beauty of sport." Galantic made his comments while attending the festival in Trento alongside Gasperini.

Roma CEO John Galantic spoke at the Festival dello Sport in Trento alongside head coach Gian Piero Gasperini, discussing his first months at the club, the Friedkin ownership, and the strategy to build a sustainable and competitive organisation. Galantic described his arrival as a baptism by fire, joining during the summer transfer window and a pre-season training camp in Wales. He praised the ownership's ambition and noted Roma's qualification to the Champions League and strong league start under Gasperini. "We don't wait for others: we go and get the ball," he said of the club's approach. "I was also fortunate to arrive at a very positive moment, after the qualification secured by Gian Piero and the squad, and now with this fine start to the campaign." On working with Friedkin, Galantic highlighted their enthusiasm but reserved public profile. "Dan Friedkin built an empire with several sectors. I was surprised to see that the more time passes, you don't find interviews on other subjects either," he explained. "They are private and asked me to speak. For the matches they are always involved, and you don't make these investments if you don't believe." Galantic outlined three pillars for long-term growth: developing young talent in-house like Emanuele Lulli and Niccolò Pisilli, strengthening the Under 23 and link between that level and the first squad, and synergies with Cannes. "Every year we want to put new players developed in-house to grow and have a sustainable model. In four years the stadium will change everything—it raises revenue and allows us a very important sporting and economic jump," he said. On January targets, he remained non-committal: "We are always alert, we see if there are opportunities. We want to grow this squad."

Roma CEO John Galantic spoke at the Festival dello Sport in Trento alongside head coach Gian Piero Gasperini, reflecting on his arrival at the club and the ownership's approach to the project. Galantic described his start at Roma as a "baptism of fire", beginning on the first day of the pre-season camp in Wales. "We don't wait for others and we go and take the ball," he said of the club's recruitment strategy during the summer window. He praised the Friedkin family's commitment, noting their reserve in public matters. "They are always present for the matches and you don't make these investments if you don't believe in it," Galantic said. "For a Roman it is difficult to understand the idea of staying silent, but Dan Friedkin created an empire with several sectors. I was surprised to see that the more time passes and you don't find interviews even on other subjects... that's how it is. They are reserved and asked me to speak." Galantic highlighted Francesco Totti as his favourite poet as a Roma fan, recalling "the volley pass with his back to goal that only he can see—it's inexplicable." He also cited the derby moment when Cafu performed a triple nutmeg on Nedved, and Matías Soulé's goal against Atalanta. On that Soulé strike, Galantic said: "When I saw the goal of Soulé I lost my head and didn't understand anything anymore... that's the beauty of sport." Before the Roma-Atalanta match, he explained, he had been warned that he could no longer behave as a fan. He came to Roma from a luxury sector CEO role in Milan after years of discussions with the Friedkins, describing the move as driven by passion and conviction rather than career advancement. "This is not a career choice—I've already made my career. This is passion, but passion alone is not enough. There had to be conviction from ownership and the resources to do something great," he said.

France and Italy drew 1-1 in a Nations League match at the Stade de France in Paris. Olise scored for France and Bastoni for Italy. Roma's two international representatives in the squads, Manu Koné and Gianluca Mancini, both remained on the bench for the full 90 minutes. The fixture was billed as one of the tournament's flagship matches between the sides managed by Zidane and Mancini.

Italy manager Roberto Mancini named his starting XI for the France fixture at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, with kickoff at 20:45. Mancini kept faith with the same eleven that played before, making minimal changes: Calafiori takes the left-wing spot, Pio Esposito leads the attack at centre-forward, Kean moves to the right wing, and Sebastiano Esposito completes the left-side trio. France manager Zinedine Zidane fielded a three-man attacking line of Olise, Dembele and Doué, keeping Manu Koné on the bench. Koné, a Roma player, was not included in Zidane's starting formation despite his availability. Italy's lineup came after two results: a defeat to Belgium and a 4–1 victory over Turkey. The fixture represents a major test for Mancini's side. France (4–3–3): Maignan; Koundé, Upamecano, Jacquet, Truffert; Da Cunha, Rabiot, Cherki; Olise, Dembele, Doué. Italy (4–3–3): Donnarumma; Kayode, Scalvini, Bastoni, Calafiori; Frattesi, Tonali, Fagioli; Kean, Pio Esposito, Sebastiano Esposito.

Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini addressed Roma's early-season progress at the Festival dello Sport in Trento on 2 October, praising Paulo Dybala's physical transformation while confirming Bryan Cristante will miss matches after the international break due to a knee problem. Gasperini outlined his tactical philosophy from his first training session, saying his immediate aim was to build something new at Roma. "My only objective was to create something new. It's like when you do a new construction: you must immediately lay new and different foundations," he said. He emphasised his defensive principles: "The first concept was to recover the ball from the opponent and not wait for him to make a mistake. That's where the rest started from." On his defence, Gasperini highlighted Mario Hermoso, Gianluca Mancini, Mile Svilar and Evan N'Dicka as key figures, noting that Hermoso brought experience from his time at Atlético Madrid alongside Spanish technical quality, while Mancini had undergone a personal shift. "I told him straight away: 'Look, this attitude is penalising you — for many years you didn't go to the national team because of these behaviours.' It's the first thing I worked on. He had a fantastic season, people have started talking about Mancini as a player again, and he's back in the national team." On Cristante, Gasperini revealed his long knowledge of the midfielder: "I knew him as a young player. Very often in players you don't look at the 'control room' — personality, the way of playing for the squad and putting teammates' needs first. It's something I've always considered." Regarding his current injury: "He had a knee problem, but playing many matches, if you're out for two weeks you risk missing 5 matches. He'll miss the first matches but will recover quickly." Dybala has drawn particular praise for his physical robustness this season. Gasperini explained: "He started the way it hasn't happened for years. He's had years of physical fragility — I thought it was a training matter. Many told me he has silk muscles, that I had to preserve him, and he'd continuously get injured. He has considerable fibre; some injuries were random. This season's start is extraordinary physically. He doesn't miss a single training session or match minute. It's proof of what I've always believed: through training you can improve endurance and performance." On young academy products Niccolò Pisilli and Emanuele Lulli, Gasperini stressed his faith in developing youth: "I grew up in the youth sector and started coaching under-10s, so I've always maintained that approach. Training in youth football helps you see the boy not as something definitive but as something you imagine could evolve." Gasperini also addressed the departure of another academy prospect, Romano, citing financial pressure: "The fact that Romano was sold is represented by profit and balance-sheet needs. This isn't good for our football — the best jewels must have the chance to grow, but if there are needs they become the first to be cut."

Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini addressed Roma's early-season progress at the Festival dello Sport in Trento on 2 October, praising Paulo Dybala's physical transformation while confirming Bryan Cristante will miss matches after the international break due to a knee problem. Gasperini outlined his tactical philosophy from his first training session, saying his immediate aim was to build something new at Roma. "My only objective was to create something new. It's like when you do a new construction: you must immediately lay new and different foundations," he said. He emphasised his defensive principles: "The first concept was to recover the ball from the opponent and not wait for him to make a mistake. That's where the rest started from." On his defence, Gasperini highlighted Mario Hermoso, Gianluca Mancini, Mile Svilar and Evan N'Dicka as key figures, noting that Hermoso brought experience from his time at Atlético Madrid alongside Spanish technical quality, while Mancini had undergone a personal shift. "I told him straight away: 'Look, this attitude is penalising you — for many years you didn't go to the national team because of these behaviours.' It's the first thing I worked on. He had a fantastic season, people have started talking about Mancini as a player again, and he's back in the national team." On Cristante, Gasperini revealed his long knowledge of the midfielder: "I knew him as a young player. Very often in players you don't look at the 'control room' — personality, the way of playing for the squad and putting teammates' needs first. It's something I've always considered." Regarding his current injury: "He had a knee problem, but playing many matches, if you're out for two weeks you risk missing 5 matches. He'll miss the first matches but will recover quickly." Dybala has drawn particular praise for his physical robustness this season. Gasperini explained: "He started the way it hasn't happened for years. He's had years of physical fragility — I thought it was a training matter. Many told me he has silk muscles, that I had to preserve him, and he'd continuously get injured. He has considerable fibre; some injuries were random. This season's start is extraordinary physically. He doesn't miss a single training session or match minute. It's proof of what I've always believed: through training you can improve endurance and performance." On young academy products Niccolò Pisilli and Emanuele Lulli, Gasperini stressed his faith in developing youth: "I grew up in the youth sector and started coaching under-10s, so I've always maintained that approach. Training in youth football helps you see the boy not as something definitive but as something you imagine could evolve." Gasperini also addressed the departure of another academy prospect, Romano, citing financial pressure: "The fact that Romano was sold is represented by profit and balance-sheet needs. This isn't good for our football — the best jewels must have the chance to grow, but if there are needs they become the first to be cut."

Gian Piero Gasperini spoke at the Trento Sports Festival on 2 October, discussing the foundations he has laid at Roma since his appointment and his vision for the season ahead. The Roma head coach outlined his tactical philosophy and explained how he has worked with the squad over the early weeks of the 2026–27 campaign. "My objective was to create something new, to lay new foundations straight away," Gasperini said. "We never spoke about my past; we had to create something new, based on new concepts of play that were different from what several players were used to. There are two ways in football: waiting for your opponent to lose the ball, or the other way—going to take it. This was the first concept, not to wait for the opponent, and everything else came from that." Gasperini praised his defensive options, singling out Mario Hermoso and Gianluca Mancini as key figures. He described the defence as his "gladiators," adding that Mile Svilar and Evan N'Dicka have been among Europe's best in recent months. On Mancini specifically, Gasperini revealed he had worked to improve the centre-back's attitude: "I knew Mancini, but when I was his opponent I'd think to myself, 'Why is he so unpleasant?' and I tried to tell him straight away, 'Look, this is hurting you—for many years you haven't gone to the national team because of these attitudes.' It was the first thing I worked on. He had a fantastic season, people started talking about Mancini as a player again, and he's returned to the national team." Gasperini offered extensive insight into Paulo Dybala's resurgence, attributing the Argentine forward's improved fitness to his training methods. "He's started as hasn't happened to him for years. I knew him at Palermo when he was very young; many years have passed but he, like all great players, still has enthusiasm and strength," Gasperini explained. "He had years of physical fragility. I thought it was a training issue. Many told me he had silk muscles, that I had to preserve him, and he kept getting injured. He has remarkable fibre; some injuries were random. This season's start is extraordinary physically. He doesn't miss a minute of training or matches. This shows what I've always believed: through training you can improve durability and performances." Regarding Dybala's reluctance to shoot from distance, Gasperini noted: "That's a legacy we'll get over soon. He got injured shooting with Milan and Torino last year and it stayed with him. Now he's overcoming it; he stopped sprinting and to see him jumping past opponents again... we'll return to shooting like before." When asked if he has coached better poets than Dybala, Gasperini responded: "I have a long career and have trained many strong players. Dybala is among the top, if not the absolute top. Ilicic and the Papu too—they're poets because they touch different strings from everyone else." Gasperini discussed young academy prospects Emanuele Lulli and Niccolò Pisilli, explaining his approach to youth development: "I grew up in the youth sector, coaching 11-year-olds through to the Primavera. I've maintained that approach and it's taught me to see the boy not as something to evaluate but as something to imagine how he might become. Pisilli already had value and experience; Lulli wasn't even always a starter in the Primavera. I have the habit of bringing a few boys from Primavera into training. I saw important characteristics in him and this year I brought him to the retreat. He played against Borussia Dortmund, a demanding match. These are the boys who tell you by how they play if they're ready. The answers come from watching them on the pitch." On Bryan Cristante, Gasperini confirmed a knee injury: "He had a knee problem but when you play many matches, if you're out two weeks you risk missing five matches. He'll miss the first games but will recover quickly." Donyell Malen's arrival was described as unexpected: "Sometimes the planets align and things happen you don't think about. He was a known player; we'd had a friendly where I saw his characteristics. These things happen during the market where you sometimes don't plan anything. We were looking for a striker because Dovbyk and Ferguson were injured. There were several names and suddenly I learned of this opportunity. He was leaving Aston Villa for tactical reasons; he wanted to be a centre-forward and I've always seen those characteristics in him. He has three fundamental touches—the closer he is to the box, the more deadly he is."

Gian Piero Gasperini spoke at the ninth edition of Il Festival dello Sport in Trento alongside new Roma CEO Galantic, discussing the club's strong start to the season and his first months in charge. The coach explained his vision from day one: "My objective was to create something new, to lay new foundations immediately. We never spoke of my past—we had to build something fresh, founded on new concepts of play that were different from what several players were used to. There are two ways in football: waiting for the opponent to lose the ball or going to take it. This was the first concept, not waiting for the opponent, and everything else stemmed from that." Gasperini praised his defence, singling out Gianluca Mancini and Mario Hermoso as standouts. On Mancini specifically: "I knew him, but when I was his opponent I'd think 'why is he so disagreeable?' and I told him straight away 'this penalises you—for years you haven't gone to the national team because of these attitudes.' It was the first thing I worked on. He had a fantastic season, people started talking about Mancini as a player again, and he returned to the Nazionale." Hermoso, he said, brought defensive grit combined with Spanish quality and important experience from his time at Atlético Madrid. Gasperini also highlighted Mile Svilar and Evan N'Dicka, noting they had been Europe's best defence for months. On Paulo Dybala's remarkable form, Gasperini revealed his belief that the Argentine's previous injury problems stemmed from training rather than fragility. "Lots of people told me he has silk muscles, that I had to preserve him, and he kept getting injured. He has remarkable fibre—some injuries were just bad luck. This season's start is extraordinary physically. He doesn't miss a minute of training or a match. It's proof of what I always believed: through training you can improve resilience and performance." When asked if Dybala's recent shot from distance showed progress, Gasperini explained: "That's a legacy we're overcoming soon. Last year he hurt himself shooting against Milan and Torino and it stayed with him. Now he's getting past it—he wasn't sprinting anymore and to see him jumping over opponents again is great. Soon we'll be back to shooting like before." He also offered high praise for Dybala's overall quality: "My career is long and I've coached many strong players. Dybala is among the top, if not the absolute top. Ilicic and the Papu too—they're poets because they touch chords different from everyone else." Gasperini discussed some younger squad members who have impressed him. On Emanuele Lulli, who was not always a starter in the Primavera: "I have the habit of bringing some young players from the Primavera into training. I saw important characteristics in him and this year brought him to the retreat. He played against Borussia Dortmund, a challenging match. The young players tell you through how they play if they're ready. The answers come from watching them on the pitch." He also defended recent criticism of another academy product: "It's another young man who grew through our youth system. He's very interesting. I was sorry about what happened last week—it seemed we'd found the player to fix the Nazionale and then he was excessively criticised. Perhaps it's the adults who need to stay calm in their judgment." On Santiago Castro's arrival, Gasperini said: "Sometimes the planets align and things happen you don't plan. He was a known player—we had a friendly where I saw his characteristics. The market is a place where sometimes you don't plan anything. We were looking for a striker because Dovbyk and Ferguson were injured. There were several names and suddenly I learned of this opportunity. He was leaving Aston Villa for tactical reasons; he wanted to be a centre-forward and I've always seen those qualities in him. He has three fundamental touches, and the closer he is to the box the more lethal he is." When pressed on whether Castro could surpass Gonzalo Higuaín's records, Gasperini said: "I said that to motivate him—I'm joking a bit. Let's say if he reaches 30 I'm happy." Gasperini reflected on his decision to leave Atalanta for Roma, calling it a major turning point in his career—comparable only to his shift from playing to management and his move to Crotone in Serie C. "I arrived with the conviction it was something owed rather than wanted, and that it was time to cross the Rubicon. You do it with lots of doubts, but you know when you make that choice you don't go back, and it's gone well." On the season's challenges ahead, he rejected the idea of being solely focused on rivals: "I always look at our path. Depending on the moment, Hannibal could be someone else. Before it was Juventus, now perhaps Inter, who is the best team in Italy. If you always chase the strongest you can lose yourself. The objective is to look at ourselves and improve."

Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini addressed Roma's early-season progress at the Festival dello Sport in Trento on 2 October, praising Paulo Dybala's physical transformation while confirming Bryan Cristante will miss matches after the international break due to a knee problem. Gasperini outlined his tactical philosophy from his first training session, saying his immediate aim was to build something new at Roma. "My only objective was to create something new. It's like when you do a new construction: you must immediately lay new and different foundations," he said. He emphasised his defensive principles: "The first concept was to recover the ball from the opponent and not wait for him to make a mistake. That's where the rest started from." On his defence, Gasperini highlighted Mario Hermoso, Gianluca Mancini, Mile Svilar and Evan N'Dicka as key figures, noting that Hermoso brought experience from his time at Atlético Madrid alongside Spanish technical quality, while Mancini had undergone a personal shift. "I told him straight away: 'Look, this attitude is penalising you — for many years you didn't go to the national team because of these behaviours.' It's the first thing I worked on. He had a fantastic season, people have started talking about Mancini as a player again, and he's back in the national team." On Cristante, Gasperini revealed his long knowledge of the midfielder: "I knew him as a young player. Very often in players you don't look at the 'control room' — personality, the way of playing for the squad and putting teammates' needs first. It's something I've always considered." Regarding his current injury: "He had a knee problem, but playing many matches, if you're out for two weeks you risk missing 5 matches. He'll miss the first matches but will recover quickly." Dybala has drawn particular praise for his physical robustness this season. Gasperini explained: "He started the way it hasn't happened for years. He's had years of physical fragility — I thought it was a training matter. Many told me he has silk muscles, that I had to preserve him, and he'd continuously get injured. He has considerable fibre; some injuries were random. This season's start is extraordinary physically. He doesn't miss a single training session or match minute. It's proof of what I've always believed: through training you can improve endurance and performance." On young academy products Niccolò Pisilli and Emanuele Lulli, Gasperini stressed his faith in developing youth: "I grew up in the youth sector and started coaching under-10s, so I've always maintained that approach. Training in youth football helps you see the boy not as something definitive but as something you imagine could evolve." Gasperini also addressed the departure of another academy prospect, Romano, citing financial pressure: "The fact that Romano was sold is represented by profit and balance-sheet needs. This isn't good for our football — the best jewels must have the chance to grow, but if there are needs they become the first to be cut."

Gian Piero Gasperini spoke at the Trento Sports Festival on 2 October, discussing the foundations he has laid at Roma since his appointment and his vision for the season ahead. The Roma head coach outlined his tactical philosophy and explained how he has worked with the squad over the early weeks of the 2026–27 campaign. "My objective was to create something new, to lay new foundations straight away," Gasperini said. "We never spoke about my past; we had to create something new, based on new concepts of play that were different from what several players were used to. There are two ways in football: waiting for your opponent to lose the ball, or the other way—going to take it. This was the first concept, not to wait for the opponent, and everything else came from that." Gasperini praised his defensive options, singling out Mario Hermoso and Gianluca Mancini as key figures. He described the defence as his "gladiators," adding that Mile Svilar and Evan N'Dicka have been among Europe's best in recent months. On Mancini specifically, Gasperini revealed he had worked to improve the centre-back's attitude: "I knew Mancini, but when I was his opponent I'd think to myself, 'Why is he so unpleasant?' and I tried to tell him straight away, 'Look, this is hurting you—for many years you haven't gone to the national team because of these attitudes.' It was the first thing I worked on. He had a fantastic season, people started talking about Mancini as a player again, and he's returned to the national team." Gasperini offered extensive insight into Paulo Dybala's resurgence, attributing the Argentine forward's improved fitness to his training methods. "He's started as hasn't happened to him for years. I knew him at Palermo when he was very young; many years have passed but he, like all great players, still has enthusiasm and strength," Gasperini explained. "He had years of physical fragility. I thought it was a training issue. Many told me he had silk muscles, that I had to preserve him, and he kept getting injured. He has remarkable fibre; some injuries were random. This season's start is extraordinary physically. He doesn't miss a minute of training or matches. This shows what I've always believed: through training you can improve durability and performances." Regarding Dybala's reluctance to shoot from distance, Gasperini noted: "That's a legacy we'll get over soon. He got injured shooting with Milan and Torino last year and it stayed with him. Now he's overcoming it; he stopped sprinting and to see him jumping past opponents again... we'll return to shooting like before." When asked if he has coached better poets than Dybala, Gasperini responded: "I have a long career and have trained many strong players. Dybala is among the top, if not the absolute top. Ilicic and the Papu too—they're poets because they touch different strings from everyone else." Gasperini discussed young academy prospects Emanuele Lulli and Niccolò Pisilli, explaining his approach to youth development: "I grew up in the youth sector, coaching 11-year-olds through to the Primavera. I've maintained that approach and it's taught me to see the boy not as something to evaluate but as something to imagine how he might become. Pisilli already had value and experience; Lulli wasn't even always a starter in the Primavera. I have the habit of bringing a few boys from Primavera into training. I saw important characteristics in him and this year I brought him to the retreat. He played against Borussia Dortmund, a demanding match. These are the boys who tell you by how they play if they're ready. The answers come from watching them on the pitch." On Bryan Cristante, Gasperini confirmed a knee injury: "He had a knee problem but when you play many matches, if you're out two weeks you risk missing five matches. He'll miss the first games but will recover quickly." Donyell Malen's arrival was described as unexpected: "Sometimes the planets align and things happen you don't think about. He was a known player; we'd had a friendly where I saw his characteristics. These things happen during the market where you sometimes don't plan anything. We were looking for a striker because Dovbyk and Ferguson were injured. There were several names and suddenly I learned of this opportunity. He was leaving Aston Villa for tactical reasons; he wanted to be a centre-forward and I've always seen those characteristics in him. He has three fundamental touches—the closer he is to the box, the more deadly he is."

Gian Piero Gasperini spoke at the ninth edition of Il Festival dello Sport in Trento alongside new Roma CEO Galantic, discussing the club's strong start to the season and his first months in charge. The coach explained his vision from day one: "My objective was to create something new, to lay new foundations immediately. We never spoke of my past—we had to build something fresh, founded on new concepts of play that were different from what several players were used to. There are two ways in football: waiting for the opponent to lose the ball or going to take it. This was the first concept, not waiting for the opponent, and everything else stemmed from that." Gasperini praised his defence, singling out Gianluca Mancini and Mario Hermoso as standouts. On Mancini specifically: "I knew him, but when I was his opponent I'd think 'why is he so disagreeable?' and I told him straight away 'this penalises you—for years you haven't gone to the national team because of these attitudes.' It was the first thing I worked on. He had a fantastic season, people started talking about Mancini as a player again, and he returned to the Nazionale." Hermoso, he said, brought defensive grit combined with Spanish quality and important experience from his time at Atlético Madrid. Gasperini also highlighted Mile Svilar and Evan N'Dicka, noting they had been Europe's best defence for months. On Paulo Dybala's remarkable form, Gasperini revealed his belief that the Argentine's previous injury problems stemmed from training rather than fragility. "Lots of people told me he has silk muscles, that I had to preserve him, and he kept getting injured. He has remarkable fibre—some injuries were just bad luck. This season's start is extraordinary physically. He doesn't miss a minute of training or a match. It's proof of what I always believed: through training you can improve resilience and performance." When asked if Dybala's recent shot from distance showed progress, Gasperini explained: "That's a legacy we're overcoming soon. Last year he hurt himself shooting against Milan and Torino and it stayed with him. Now he's getting past it—he wasn't sprinting anymore and to see him jumping over opponents again is great. Soon we'll be back to shooting like before." He also offered high praise for Dybala's overall quality: "My career is long and I've coached many strong players. Dybala is among the top, if not the absolute top. Ilicic and the Papu too—they're poets because they touch chords different from everyone else." Gasperini discussed some younger squad members who have impressed him. On Emanuele Lulli, who was not always a starter in the Primavera: "I have the habit of bringing some young players from the Primavera into training. I saw important characteristics in him and this year brought him to the retreat. He played against Borussia Dortmund, a challenging match. The young players tell you through how they play if they're ready. The answers come from watching them on the pitch." He also defended recent criticism of another academy product: "It's another young man who grew through our youth system. He's very interesting. I was sorry about what happened last week—it seemed we'd found the player to fix the Nazionale and then he was excessively criticised. Perhaps it's the adults who need to stay calm in their judgment." On Santiago Castro's arrival, Gasperini said: "Sometimes the planets align and things happen you don't plan. He was a known player—we had a friendly where I saw his characteristics. The market is a place where sometimes you don't plan anything. We were looking for a striker because Dovbyk and Ferguson were injured. There were several names and suddenly I learned of this opportunity. He was leaving Aston Villa for tactical reasons; he wanted to be a centre-forward and I've always seen those qualities in him. He has three fundamental touches, and the closer he is to the box the more lethal he is." When pressed on whether Castro could surpass Gonzalo Higuaín's records, Gasperini said: "I said that to motivate him—I'm joking a bit. Let's say if he reaches 30 I'm happy." Gasperini reflected on his decision to leave Atalanta for Roma, calling it a major turning point in his career—comparable only to his shift from playing to management and his move to Crotone in Serie C. "I arrived with the conviction it was something owed rather than wanted, and that it was time to cross the Rubicon. You do it with lots of doubts, but you know when you make that choice you don't go back, and it's gone well." On the season's challenges ahead, he rejected the idea of being solely focused on rivals: "I always look at our path. Depending on the moment, Hannibal could be someone else. Before it was Juventus, now perhaps Inter, who is the best team in Italy. If you always chase the strongest you can lose yourself. The objective is to look at ourselves and improve."