Grosso reflects on Fiorentina's defeat at Roma in Serie A opener

Fiorentina manager Fabio Grosso acknowledged Roma's strength after his side's defeat in the first day of the Serie A season at Stadio Olimpico. Grosso highlighted defensive lapses as the key failing in a match against a well-structured opponent. "We faced a structured squad. We knew it would be very difficult. It's a shame because we conceded goals by making silly mistakes. We held up in the first half but then some carelessness that we need to be good at eliminating. There's a lot to do, I knew it and I know it. From tomorrow we'll work and grow in every way. Today the challenge was very high. This opponent is strong, structured. It created us with many difficulties," Grosso said.

The Fiorentina manager stressed that building a new squad in a compressed timeframe requires time and resilience. He acknowledged the difficulty of assembling a team late in the transfer window, noting that Fiorentina cannot expect to construct everything in a short space of time but must remain present and competitive in matches. Grosso underlined the importance of learning to resist in difficult contests and avoiding careless errors, particularly in the closing stages when conceding a fourth goal carries different implications than managing the scoreline.

On young forward Mastantuono, Grosso noted the player's personality in the match and his recent move to Real Madrid for a significant fee last season. "Franco put in a match of personality, he's a young lad. Last year he moved to Real Madrid for a huge figure. He showed his qualities in stretches, can grow with continuity and we can help him. I liked the approach with which he tried to play the match, he created the groundwork for some chances we didn't finish. There's work to do, we have many lads with potential," Grosso said, adding that playing at this level requires additional characteristics beyond individual talent.