Maurizio Sarri held his pre-match press conference on the eve of tomorrow's Serie A fixture against Roma at the Stadio Olimpico, kicking off at 20:45. The visiting manager assessed Roma's credentials and highlighted Donyell Malen as a key threat. "Malen is in a state of grace so it will be important to block him," Sarri said. "Roma are a team that has strengthened further. They are a strong group that can fight for the top. I would be surprised if Roma did not fight for the Scudetto."
Sarri outlined the physical toll his squad has endured in the run-up to the match. His team has played four matches in eleven days and this fixture will be their fifth in that period. He stressed the impact on training sessions: "The many commitments condition the training: not having everyone available results in half sessions." He expressed relief that the transfer window has closed, saying: "I am happy that the market is over: we coaches cannot work for 50 days where the market is in the middle and we work with the squad." On his own market activity, he said: "I am satisfied with the market: now it is necessary to evaluate on the pitch."
Sarri provided updates on injured players ahead of the Roma match. Kristensen has completed his third training session; Rowe trained today; and Kessié has done two or three sessions. "A situation not simple, and then there is a difference between the various individuals: Rowe is already trained, Franck comes from the World Cup so he must recover his condition, different situation for Kristensen where he is also learning a lot. They are three players to work on," Sarri explained. On De Ketelaere, he said: "De Ketelaere is a true world-class talent: he can still grow because he is still at 70% of his potential. Charles has wide margins for improvement to be more continuous and decisive."
Sarri acknowledged the contrasting philosophies with Roma's head coach. "Gasperini is a very strong manager. He has a different philosophy from mine, but he remains a very strong manager," Sarri said. He added that Gasperini has done important things at Atalanta and deserves to be remembered for that work, while noting he is embarking on his own path with his current side.
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Atalanta and Roma will face off in Serie A this weekend, with Atalanta defender Raoul Bellanova offering high praise for his opposing winger Wesley ahead of the clash. Speaking to DAZN, Bellanova called Wesley "a tremendous player" and acknowledged the quality of the season he has enjoyed, describing the upcoming individual duel as "stimulating" and adding that "may the best man win." Bellanova also reflected on the broader tactical challenge Roma present, noting the adjustments required under their current defensive system. He explained that the transition from man-marking with a back four "changes everything" and requires significant effort from the squad, though Roma are working to implement their manager's instructions more effectively on the pitch.
Atalanta's manager Maurizio Sarri held his pre-match press conference ahead of the fixture at the Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday evening. Sarri identified Donyell Malen as a key threat, saying "Malen is in a state of grace so it will be important to block him." More broadly, he backed Roma's title credentials, stating: "Roma are a team that has strengthened further. They are a strong group that can fight for the top. I would be surprised if Roma did not fight for the Scudetto."
Sarri addressed the physical demands on his squad, noting Atalanta have played four matches in eleven days heading into this fixture. He provided injury updates, confirming that Kristensen has completed his third training session, Rowe trained recently, and Kessié has completed two or three sessions, though all three require further work to reach full match fitness. Sarri also praised Charles De Ketelaere as "a true world-class talent" with potential to grow beyond his current level, while acknowledging Gasperini as "a very strong manager" despite their differing philosophies.
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Testo Originale / Source Text
“Maurizio Sarri ha parlato in conferenza stampa alla vigilia del big match di campionato contro la Roma in programma domani alle 20:45 allo Stadio Olimpico. Queste le sue parole: Cosa ha visto in questa Roma e come bisogna fermare Malen? "Malen è in stato di grazia quindi sarà importante bloccarlo.…”
Read the full article in Italian at Forza Roma.
