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Grosso backs Fiorentina to challenge Roma at Olimpico
·23 August 2026·45d ago

Grosso backs Fiorentina to challenge Roma at Olimpico

Source: Forza Roma

Fiorentina manager Raffaele Grosso has declared his squad ready to face Roma at the Olimpico, saying the team is physically and mentally prepared for a high-level fixture. Speaking ahead of the match, Grosso confirmed that all his players are available after recovering from various injuries, and that he will have squad depth to rotate.

Grosso acknowledged Roma's quality and the difficulty of the challenge away from home. "The opponents are strong, they had a tremendous season and have a very clear manager," he said. "Many characteristics make this fixture difficult, but difficult things, if you dive into them and try to stay inside them, can become even more beautiful. There are many pitfalls in this match, but we have the characteristics to try to play a great match." On the defensive setup, he noted flexibility: "Yes, I have no reservations but I prefer to put them in the positions they prefer. We have four central defenders with different experiences and characteristics. The skill is to make the players who take the field express themselves."

Grosso highlighted the responsibility of maintaining Fiorentina's momentum and the support of the club's supporters. "One of our objectives is to ride this beautiful enthusiasm that is being created," he said. "We are aware of it. It is a beautiful responsibility; we want to keep it that way, knowing it won't always be easy. People support us and make many sacrifices to follow us. We take that into account, always." He stressed the importance of consistency: "The skill is giving continuity to doing things well; if you lower your level the other side will raise it and do well." On starting the season away from home, Grosso noted that many players know the Olimpico while others will discover it in time, but the group is prepared for the test ahead.

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Story Coverage4 sources on this story

Fiorentina manager Fabio Grosso has declared his squad fully fit and ready for tomorrow evening's Serie A opener against Roma at the Stadio Olimpico. Speaking at his pre-match press conference on 23 August, Grosso confirmed that all injury concerns have been resolved and that his players are physically and mentally prepared for the challenge. He highlighted forward Kean as particularly well-positioned for the fixture, and noted he has excellent attacking options across his four-man forward contingent—Kean, Pellegrino, Gudmundsson, and the developing Mastantuono—to rotate across his three attacking positions.

Grosso acknowledged Roma's strength under manager Gian Piero Gasperini and the difficulty of playing away at the Olimpico, where over 65,000 spectators are expected. However, he expressed confidence in Fiorentina's ability to compete. "The opponents are strong, they had a tremendous season and have a very clear manager," he said, "but difficult things, if you dive into them and try to stay inside them, can become even more beautiful." On his defensive setup, Grosso indicated flexibility, noting he has four centre-backs with different experience and characteristics and prefers positioning players in their favoured roles rather than focusing solely on tactical containment.

Grosso also stressed Fiorentina's responsibility to the supporters and the club's ongoing transfer plans. He emphasized the importance of maintaining the momentum building in Florence while acknowledging that squad depth needs addressing in attack. Il Romanista reports that Roma will kick off at 20:45 on 24 August, with gates opening at 18:45, and notes the club's continued community initiatives including accessibility services for supporters with disabilities and a "Food for the Community" partnership with Caritas diocesana di Roma.

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Testo Originale / Source Text

“"Stiamo bene. Fortunatamente abbiamo recuperato i vari acciaccati, tutti sono a disposizione. Portiamo dietro ancora qualche ragazzo che continua a venire con noi. Fisicamente la squadra è pronta per una sfida ad altissimo livello. Anche l'aspetto mentale sarà importante per tirare fuori le nostre…”

Read the full article in Italian at Forza Roma.

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