Gasperini to face media ahead of Inter clash at Olimpico

Leonardo Balerdi has made an immediate impact at Roma and spoke to il Tempo about his journey to the club. The Argentine defender revealed he has long harboured an ambition to join Roma, even requesting an official shirt from Strootman, his former Olympique Marseille teammate. "Roma is a dream," Balerdi said. "A year ago I could have arrived but it didn't happen. At the start of the transfer window my agent was at Trigoria, then I lost hope a bit, but when the call came in the final days I didn't think twice and said yes immediately." On his role in the squad, Balerdi explained he is still learning the movements of Gianluca Mancini and Mario Hermoso. "I can play anywhere, but I prefer the central area," he added. Looking ahead, he expressed his desire to remain at the club long-term while staying focused on the present.

Leonardo Balerdi has opened up on his early weeks at Roma, revealing that he made the transfer non-negotiable after years at Marseille. In an interview with Il Tempo, the Argentine defender said he felt settled already: "I feel as if I've been here for at least three months. I've been welcomed brilliantly by everyone." He was adamant about his destination, telling the club: "There were other teams but at that point I said that if I didn't come here I would have stayed at Marseille." Balerdi described his Roma shirt as destiny. He explained: "When I had Strootman as a teammate I asked him to get me a Roma shirt, which I still keep at home. It was meant to be that I would wear it one day." He has also quickly built connections with his new teammates, singling out Manu Koné as particularly impressive. "Koné is an animal," he said. "I really like him a lot. The same with Malen—he was scoring lots of goals as soon as he arrived and he keeps doing it. Svilar as well. Maybe these three, apart from Dybala, have impressed me especially." On his style of play, Balerdi said he prefers a central defensive role: "By my characteristics I can play better as a centre-back. I like playing in open field as we saw in Turin. At Marseille it was the same; I'm used to it." He acknowledged areas for development: "I still need to understand the defence's movements better. I want to grow mentally too. I'm not setting any limits." He is also thriving under Gasperini's coaching methods. "I get on well with his instructions. I feel that physically I improve day by day. His way of training is an advantage for me because in matches I feel strong." Looking ahead, Balerdi framed the Inter fixture as pivotal: "We must win without looking at who we have in front of us. A match that can give us the decisive click for the rest of the season." He concluded with his personal aims: "I want to do everything to stay here for a long time. Both in the national team and at Roma I want to win a trophy."

Mile Svilar has confirmed he has held no talks with Juventus over a potential move, stating he does not sign contract renewals only to leave a year later. The goalkeeper spoke to Corriere della Sera ahead of Roma's clash against Inter on Saturday, describing the match as a chance to measure themselves against the league's strongest side. "We can't wait to play and test ourselves against the strongest team in the championship," he said. Svilar praised head coach Gian Piero Gasperini's tactical approach, noting the manager grants him freedom in his decision-making. "The coach is different because he leaves me free in my choices. We try things with our feet even if it's a bit harder with the new rules, but we never want to take unnecessary risks. In today's football everyone wants to invent something from the back but it's excessive—errors cost points." The goalkeeper emphasised the importance of timing in one-on-one situations and revealed he studies opposing attackers extensively through video analysis during the week and on match day. He identified Donyell Malen as the most challenging opponent: "Malen always scores, even in training." Svilar also cited Mike Maignan and Mateo Carnesecchi as goalkeepers he admires in Italy. On his career path, Svilar highlighted the pivotal role of former manager Daniele De Rossi in his development, saying: "He changed my life—perhaps I wouldn't be at Roma today without him." Away from football, Svilar revealed his love of pasta and pizza, noting he can indulge only once a week due to his metabolism, while envying teammates who have no such restrictions.