Pisilli calls Gasperini a 'master' and recalls Mourinho, Totti and De Rossi

Roma midfielder Bryan Cristante has been left out of Italy coach Roberto Mancini's 31-man squad for the Nations League matches against France and Belgium, despite a strong start to the season with Roma. Mancini addressed the decision at a press conference today at Coverciano, where the squad is gathering. Mancini said: "We know Cristante, there is no need to prove him. When we need him, we will call him." He stressed that the decision was not technical. Instead, he said, it was aimed at giving more room to young players who will have the chance to show what they can do in the senior national team shirt. Two Roma players have been called up: Daniele Ghilardi and Niccolò Pisilli.

Netherlands head coach Xavi has urged Roma forward Donyell Malen to build his confidence, saying he sees the player as a striker and that the team must give him the trust he needs to show his full potential in the national side. Xavi selected Malen for the Netherlands squad ahead of their UEFA Nations League matches against Greece and Germany, and spoke at a press conference about the Roma man's struggle to reproduce his club form for his country. Asked about Malen's performances for the Netherlands, Xavi said he was not in a position to explain the cause, as he was not there at the time. The Dutch coach said the best approach was to trust Malen and explain what is expected of him in that role. Xavi said: "I don't know why, I wasn't there. The best thing we can do is give Donyell confidence and explain what we expect from him in that role. I see him as a striker. He knows that role well, he knows how to exploit spaces and he has the right timing to help the team at the right moment. We have to give him the confidence he needs to express his potential at its best here too."

Netherlands head coach Xavi Hernandez has made clear that Roma forward Donyell Malen is, in his view, a centre-forward, even though he can also be used on the right. Malen has been recalled to the Dutch squad after missing the nation's most recent fixtures through injury. Speaking at a press conference, Xavi said: "For me Malen is a centre-forward. Of course, he is an option on the right, but he feels more comfortable playing as a striker." The comments appear to settle any doubt about the Dutchman's role. His predecessor Koeman often used him as a right winger, the same position he occupied during his time at Aston Villa. Since arriving in the capital, however, Gian Piero Gasperini has deployed him at the heart of the attack, producing thrilling results and convincing Xavi, the former Barcelona midfielder, of his value in that role. Xavi added: "The best thing we can do is give him confidence. Explain to him what we expect from him as a centre-forward. He knows how to attack the spaces, he understands what is asked of him. He recognises the right moment to be involved in the play. I think he can give the best of himself with the Oranje." Having won over Rome, Malen now wants to make his mark on the national team as well.

Roma's January transfer window risks becoming one of the pivotal moments of their season, with the club's challenge being to identify the players Gian Piero Gasperini genuinely needs without repeating the improvised mid-season dealings of the past. The summer window closed with at least two unresolved issues, perhaps three: a full-back, preferably left-footed, an attacking winger capable of giving bursts of pace and depth, and, despite the club's own assessments, a fifth central midfielder. The central midfield is probably the most underestimated concern. Manu Koné, Bryan Cristante, Marten de Roon and Niccolò Pisilli form a reliable unit in quality terms, but four players for two places, considering the Champions League, Serie A and the Coppa Italia, is a fairly thin resource. Roma's recent admission that a forward-thinking winger of real pace is the priority, recognising a gap that already emerged at the end of the summer market, was described as an important acknowledgement, since it means the club and the coach have identified a precise need. The question now is whether they can meet it without simply buying someone. January is not July. There are no summer training camps, no preparation weeks and no time to teach Gasperini's football from scratch, a system that demands reading of the game, physical condition, timing and a willingness to sacrifice. Anyone who arrives must be ready almost immediately, because the risk of signing a player who only understands the system by March is far from remote. The experience of Zaragoza and Venturino, signed in a hurry last year and sold just as quickly this summer, should have taught the club something. Those deals were meant to add attacking options but produced a contribution below expectations. What is needed is not necessarily another Grenier, a player brought in to fill a line on the team sheet without really changing the team's possibilities. Better one right signing than three alternatives destined to remain just that, especially as Roma have shown they already have a competitive structure and need to be completed rather than rebuilt. The problem is that this time the calendar will not even allow the luxury of waiting. From 2 to 31 January, Roma will play nine matches across Serie A, the Champions League and the Coppa Italia. The first three come in just eight days: Frosinone on 2 January, Venezia on 5 January and Milan on 9 January. Then comes Verona in the cup, Atalanta, the decisive European fixtures against AEK Athens and Lille, Udinese and Monza. The sequence could steer three competitions at once, making it essential to reach the restart after Christmas with all available resources. The market opens on 1 January, but D'Amico believes the work must be substantially completed well before then. Waiting until the final days to save money could leave Gasperini without reinforcements just as points start to matter more. Equally, rushing through profiles that are not fully convincing simply to present them at Trigoria in the first days of the month would be just as dangerous. That is the balance to strike: being in a hurry without being rushed. Gasperini has shown he can develop a squad built around his ideas, but also that not every player is automatically suited to his style, so January's business must be built on shared choices rather than last-minute opportunities. Roma have already lost too much time in the past trying to correct the mistakes of the previous market. This time they must do something different: complete what works. A reinforcement arriving on 3 January can change a season; the same player arriving on 31 January could find a Roma that has already played nine decisive matches. And certain opportunities, once missed, cannot be recovered with a signing.

Roma midfielder Niccolò Pisilli has said he is not the club's captain, describing his 20 minutes wearing the armband as a matter of circumstance, in an interview with Spanish newspaper Marca. Speaking about his passion for the club and the goal he scored in front of the Curva Sud, the 22-year-old said: "I have never hidden being a Roma fan since I was very young. It was an honour." He added that a series of circumstances led to the armband landing on his arm. Pisilli was asked about comparisons with club legends Francesco Totti and Daniele De Rossi, and was clear that there is no basis for them. "Totti and De Rossi are sacred monsters who cannot be compared to my 20 minutes," he said. "I don't know how many matches they played with that armband, they made the history of this club. I am still a boy, I am 22 years old, I played 20 minutes as captain by chance. They are myths of the city." He stressed that every minute he has worn the armband has been a great source of pride and a great responsibility. On the Scudetto race, Pisilli described Serie A this season as a very beautiful championship. "Overall, this is a very beautiful league. There is more play, it is more dynamic, there is more effective time and many more goals are scored. I think it is more enjoyable for the audience at home to watch the matches." He said both Roman clubs are doing things well, but added: "We will do the accounts at the end, at the end of the season." Asked what he would do if Roma won the title, he replied: "I don't know. We would celebrate in great style, that is certain. I could not say exactly what I would do. Now we have to think match by match and, as I said, in the end the accounts will be made." Pisilli also paid tribute to head coach Gasperini and former manager Mourinho. He said of Gasperini: "Gasperini does not need an introduction from me. The history of a club like Atalanta has changed. He came to us and in the first year we got an excellent result and returned to the Champions League. He is a master. He is really very good. This is seen in the way his teams play. I try to do well in every training session and at every moment to fully understand what he is asking. I try to learn as much as I can from him too." On Mourinho, he said: "Mourinho identified very strongly with Roma and with the atmosphere of the city. I will always be grateful to him, because he gave me the opportunity to make my debut in this shirt and the great satisfaction of scoring my first goal."

Former Roma player Stefano Desideri, speaking exclusively to Retesport, has backed Gian Piero Gasperini's side and said the gap to Inter is closing. He said he was proud to have worn the Roma shirt and described the current team as strong, with players focused and committed on the pitch. "Roma of Gasperini? A strong side, a joy to watch on the pitch. All the players are focused and on it, it's really a beautiful Roma." He added that he is enjoying watching the team after years of matches that were less enjoyable. Desideri drew comparisons with his own Roma side, which surprised opponents with a zonal press using one fewer forward and one extra midfielder, removing the markers of their opponents. He said the players then were willing to step forward, much as Gasperini's players are doing now. On the gap with Inter, he said something is always missing and that a few more players would help, but the club must find players capable of absorbing Gasperini's work, which he said is producing exceptional things. "We must keep trusting the coach," he said. He added: "I'm not afraid of anyone, I'm confident in this Roma. Lazio are the biggest surprise, Inter are a battleship but have levelled off a little, while the giallorossi have improved, so the gap is closing." On Lorenzo Pellegrini's fellow midfielder Niccolò Pisilli, Desideri said: "Good player, a complete midfielder who is good in the tackle and gets forward. He just needs to play as much as possible. A serious lad from Rome, I am proud of him." On European competition, he said the team lacks experience, with many players having little of it. He said that against Real Madrid the side played excellently with personality for 84 minutes, but then experience was lacking. "Managing the result is not part of this team's DNA." On Donyell Malen, Desideri compared him to Voller, describing him as a driving force for the team with different characteristics. "He has an execution speed that leaves defenders stranded, a fundamental quality. We have discovered a strong player." On Rodrigo Mora, he said: "A talent, he struggled at first. In recent outings we have seen him chasing opponents, he is entering the coach's mentality and it is perfect for him."