Atalanta manager Maurizio Sarri said Roma will fight for the Serie A title after his side drew with the Giallorossi in a match on matchday 3. Speaking after the game, Sarri praised Roma's quality despite Atalanta's late equaliser at the 93rd minute. "Now Roma is a team that can fight for the title until the end," he said. "In this moment for us it was difficult. We faced the strongest team of this period, it will be played until the end."
Sarri acknowledged his own team's shortcomings in the closing stages. "We had a good thirty minutes in the second half, we also had the chance to make it 2–0, but in the last 15 we didn't hold on to defend and in the end we paid for it. We could have done 2–0 but Roma has an extraordinary moment, already equalising at 93 like that is a high-level thing." He also noted that Atalanta are still building momentum after the transfer window. "We've had players arriving in dribs and drabs, some have done between 2 and 3 trainings. It's a process that still has to begin in its truest way."
Sarri defended the decision to substitute Kristovic for Scamacca, saying: "You have to have the courage to come out shorter. Kristovic has better ball cleaning." On a red card shown to Gaetano, Sarri insisted it was an error. "There was no nervousness, Gaetano said he didn't say a word to the referee. I had around five people around me and they all told me the same thing, so the referee made a mistake."
The manager also analysed his team's defending approach, stating: "We're defending too low, I think it's an inevitable process. We're convinced we're growing, we're distant from Roma but we're growing." Sarri expressed surprise at Rowe's absence, noting: "The lads couldn't make it to the end and asked me for substitutions, unfortunately those are things I can only see in the match."
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Maurizio Sarri has praised Roma as title contenders following Atalanta's recent match, acknowledging the Giallorossi's impressive form and quality. Despite the fixture ending level, Sarri told both Sky Sport and DAZN that Roma will fight for the Serie A title until the end, describing them as "the strongest team of this period" and noting they are currently "the squad most in condition in Serie A." He recognised that his own team faced a superior opponent in difficult circumstances, particularly after Atalanta's transfer window left them with new arrivals still integrating—some having completed only two or three training sessions.
Sarri's analysis of the match itself centred on a tale of two halves. Atalanta suffered territorially in the opening period but created few clear chances against Roma. The manager felt his side performed well in the opening thirty minutes of the second half and had an opportunity to double their lead but ultimately lacked the physical capacity to sustain their defensive shape in the final quarter. "We could have made it 2–0 but Roma is in an extraordinary moment," Sarri explained, adding that reaching the 90th minute against such opposition represented a high-level performance.
The manager also addressed two late-match incidents. On a red card shown to Gaetano, Sarri disputed the referee's decision, insisting the player denied saying anything to the official and that those around him corroborated this account. Regarding his substitution decisions, Sarri stressed these were forced by players unable to complete the match physically. He defended moving Kristovic for Scamacca by noting the importance of "having the courage to come out shorter," though he acknowledged his team must continue improving their defensive positioning as part of an ongoing process.
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Testo Originale / Source Text
“Tutte le dichiarazioni dell’allenatore nerazzurro in occasione di Roma-Atalanta, match valido per la 3a giornata di campionato.
Rimane l’aspetto positivo di aver visto la squadra crescere contro la squadra più in forma della serie A.
E’ un errore dell’arbitro. Sei persone diverse mi hanno detto…”
Read the full article in Italian at Roma News.
