Pruzzo, Aspri and Pugliese on Totti: 'Living history of Roma'

Edoardo Bove's agent, Diego Tavano, has revealed that the midfielder was pushed out of Roma on 30 August 2024 after a bitter clash with the club's management, naming president Lina Souloukou and sporting director Florent Ghisolfi. Speaking to Radio Bruno Roma, Tavano said the former Giallorossi midfielder never wanted to leave the club. Tavano said Bove and he had been given technical indications that they had hoped to respect, but they did not expect to be forced out completely. He said the management, led by Souloukou and Ghisolfi, offered two options that they did not like and did not want to pursue: Nottingham Forest, and probably Olympiakos, given the shared ownership, or Brest. Tavano said Bove felt he had done a lot for Roma, having come off an important season under Mourinho in which he scored in the Europa League semi-final and was one of the protagonists. He added that he had a very strong disagreement with the club's management of the time that day. On Bove's move to Fiorentina, Tavano said the agent had managed to secure a loan with an option to buy at the last minute. He said it was not what they wanted, but it was a solution. He said Fiorentina would surely exercise the option because the player had made a strong start in Florence. Tavano also recalled that one of Bove's greatest emotions of his life was returning under the Curva Sud and to the Stadio Olimpico, hearing his name sung by the Roma crowd. "Edoardo is Roman and Roma through and through, and Roma is truly inside him," he said. Tavano also spoke about the young Slim Bouaskar, who he said had been featured by Roman newspapers after he was stopped at an event at the Canottieri Aniene club. He pointed to the Guardian including Bouaskar among the 60 most important talents in the world. Tavano said he is Bouaskar's manager and therefore biased, but said the player had signed a three-year contract with Roma under a project to play up an age group, which went very well last year. He said the same was supposed to happen this season, to then judge whether the player had the making of a first-team player. He said it had stalled a little this season because the management had changed, although the coach remained the same, and said he expected continuity with the Under-18 side. He said the player had been called up by the Tunisian senior national team, which he said showed he is an absolute talent. "It's a shame because he grew up at Roma," Tavano said, adding that Roma would decide what to do and how to protect themselves, with the utmost respect for their choices, and that they were not picking a fight. Tavano also said he sees Inter more as the anti-Roma and praised Gian Piero Gasperini, whom he said was the right kind of coach for a club like Roma after the loss of Mourinho. He said Gasperini's total pressing game was shaped in part by Sebastien De Maio, whom Tavano described as his first strong player and who had been important for Gasperini in developing his style. He added: "Gasperini is a very strong coach and let's hope we continue to do well."

Radio pundits have shared their views on Roma's attacking transfer plans, with the club's first choice reportedly a winger who can play on the left with a burst of pace. Camelio, speaking on Radio Radio Pomeriggio, said the club first needs to establish which transfer formula it can use, and argued that Endrick is not a winger but a second striker. Ferrajolo, also on Radio Radio Pomeriggio, described Endrick as an attacking winger who can operate on either flank depending on the team's needs, adding that he is not a pure first striker but an attacking winger. Pugliese said Roma's first choice remains a winger who can play on the left, even though the coach changes systems and rotates players. He said Roma are looking for a loan with an option to buy. According to Pugliese, a deal for Endrick was practically complete in the summer until Mourinho got involved, with the Portuguese coach continuing to be one of the player's main admirers. Roma could also work on Gittens, but Pugliese believes one of the two will arrive rather than both. He does not rule out Sporting for Endrick, pointing out that the Portuguese club know Fonseca well, the coach who developed him at Lyon, and that Sporting are playing in the Champions League. Vocalelli, also speaking on Radio Radio Pomeriggio, called Endrick a top player in world football. He noted that at 20 he has already collected 24 appearances for the Brazil national team. Vocalelli said that if Endrick were to join Roma he would be welcomed with open arms, and that he could play alongside Soulé and Malen.

Diego Tavano, agent of Edoardo Bove and of Roma Primavera goalkeeper Slim Bouaskar, has spoken on Radio Bruno Roma's programme "Quelli che la Roma", reviewing Bove's departure from the club, the film made about his story and the future of Bouaskar. Tavano said the film "In un battito" will be released in cinemas from 16 November, following two preview screenings, one in Rome and one in Milan, which he said had been an incredible success. He said: "Everyone expects a simple documentary, so some stolen images here and there. In reality, behind this film there is a deep story. It is a real film, and there is a profound story of a boy who suffered, who after the event he had, which in the end was a fortunate event, lived 14 months of incredible emotions." He added that the cameras had been with the family from Careggi onwards, from the third day after the event, and followed Bove until his first goal for Watford, which he described as closing the story of a young man who hit rock bottom and, with great resilience, showed that one should never give up. Tavano said he had discussed the film with the production companies, Rai and Sky, and urged them to show it in all schools: "In the era of the bully and the maranza, we need boys like this, who are for me wonderful examples for our children." On Bove's exit, Tavano said the player never wanted to leave the club. He said the agent and player's relationship was cemented on 30 August 2024, when, in his words, "we were shown the door". He said there had been technical indications which they would have liked to respect, but did not expect Bove to have to leave completely. He said the club's management, led by Souloukou and sporting director Ghisolfi, offered two options that they did not like at all: Nottingham Forest, and probably Olympiakos, because of the same ownership, or Brest. Tavano said Bove felt he had done a great deal for Roma, having come off an important season under Mourinho in which he scored in the Europa League semi-final and was one of the protagonists. He recalled a very strong clash with the club's management of the time that day, and said that in the end they won, because he managed to secure a loan to Fiorentina with an option at the last minute. He said Fiorentina would surely exercise that option, as Bove had made a great start in Florence. Tavano said Bove has already described, and repeats in the film, that returning to the Curva Sud and hearing his name from the whole Roma crowd at the Stadio Olimpico was one of his greatest emotions of his life. He said Bove is Roman and a Roma fan. On Watford, Tavano said Bove is doing very well. He lives in London, in the same building as Riccardo Calafiori, and the two are together very often, two or three floors apart. He described the Championship as a league of high level, fourth in the world for revenue, and said he hopes it will be a transitional season before a return to Serie A. Asked about Roma's season, Tavano said he sees Inter more as the anti-Roma. He praised Gian Piero Gasperini, whom he said he knew well, recalling that Sebastien De Maio was his first strong player and was important to Gasperini's development of his total pressing game. He said: "For me Gasperini is a coach who is not a discovery and is not rushing things, because in my opinion Trigoria and Rome need coaches of this personality, like Mourinho and Gasperini. So it doesn't surprise me. He is an extremely strong coach and hopefully we will keep doing well." On Gasperini's comments about aiming for the Scudetto, Tavano said a healthy presumption is essential to win, and that the club has everything needed, a solid presidency and a coach with the right mentality. He said: "We are Roma, we are in Rome! This word is strong. It is essentially what we deserve. If we have seen so many Scudetti won by a team called Juventus, based in Turin, why can Roma, called Roma, not excel?" He praised the Friedkin family, noting that early criticism over their silence had faded, and said the stadium's silence during the anthem and rival fans filming it on their phones showed the club's greatness.