The Roma coach praised his squad’s character following another 4-0 victory but warned that the Giallorossi still need greater depth for Serie A and the Champions League.
Gian Piero Gasperini firmly dismissed the possibility of Manu Koné leaving Roma during his press conference following the club’s commanding 4-0 victory over Lecce.
Koné has attracted reported interest from Chelsea, but Gasperini insisted that neither he nor the club have been informed of an official offer for the French midfielder.
Gasperini closes door on Koné departure
“Absolutely not,” Gasperini said when asked whether Koné could leave. “It is something created by the media. Nobody has ever spoken to me about departures, neither Koné nor anyone else—especially now, with 24 hours remaining before the market closes.”
The Roma coach added that the club’s ownership has no intention of authorizing a major departure so late in the window.
“I also know that the ownership does not agree with selling players,” he continued. “I don’t know who has supposedly come forward because we have never received any official offers. This is another report that must be denied.”
Koné started alongside Bryan Cristante at the Via del Mare before being replaced by Niccolò Pisilli during the second half.
Gasperini praises Roma’s character
Roma followed their opening victory over Fiorentina with another 4-0 triumph against Lecce, taking their early-season record to eight goals scored and none conceded.
Gasperini believes the team’s development is the result of more than tactical progress.
“We are undoubtedly further ahead than we were a year ago because of our understanding of the game and the experiences we have shared,” he said. “It is not only a tactical matter. These players have always possessed extremely high values, and I want to emphasize that.”
The coach also rejected suggestions that there have been internal problems at Trigoria.
“I have never had even half a problem with this squad,” Gasperini continued. “People have reported all kinds of things about conspiracies and problems at Trigoria, but I have found extraordinary qualities in everyone—both those who have played more and those who have played less.”
“An exceptional environment has been created inside the dressing room, and most of the credit belongs to these players. They have intelligence and heart. Those are two extraordinary qualities for a team, and every member of this squad possesses them.”
Gasperini believes new signings Leonardo Balerdi and Marten de Roon will further strengthen that mentality.
“The arrivals of Balerdi and De Roon will add even more strength in this respect,” he said.
Roma deserve credit for Lecce performance
Roma effectively settled the contest by scoring three times inside the opening 25 minutes, but Gasperini argued that the result should not obscure the difficulty of the assignment.
“You cannot expect to begin a match and be 3-0 ahead after 25 minutes,” he said. “Matches are usually very balanced. Lecce arrived after an important away victory and had a full stadium behind them.”
“Rather than concentrating on Lecce’s shortcomings, I want to emphasize the merits of my players. They were excellent in every respect: the way they entered the pitch, their personality, confidence, quality and understanding of our patterns of play. It was not easy to play here.”
Gasperini refuses Atalanta comparisons
Roma’s intense pressing and attacking football have already produced comparisons with Gasperini’s successful Atalanta teams, but the coach does not believe comparisons are useful.
“I do not compare this team with others because every team is different,” he explained. “I’m very happy that we are making our supporters proud and giving them joy at this moment.”
“After two matches, seeing the team play this way and produce these performances and results brings happiness to our people. We must concentrate on ourselves, our development and completing the squad so that we are not placed in difficulty by the number of matches we have to play.”
Gasperini warns Roma squad remains short
Despite Roma’s perfect opening to the season, Gasperini reiterated that the squad still requires reinforcements before the transfer window closes.
“Dybala and Malen cannot always be available,” he said. “Today, we had only two attacking players on the bench. We will recover Pellegrini and Rensch, but you have to assume that someone will always be unavailable.”
Roma experienced that problem immediately before kickoff when Evan N’Dicka suffered an adductor issue during the warm-up, forcing Daniele Ghilardi into the starting lineup.
“Today, we suddenly lost N’Dicka,” Gasperini added. “A team competing in the Champions League needs a substantial squad containing players who can limit the impact whenever someone is missing. We suffered from that during a certain period last season.”
The coach acknowledged the ownership’s efforts to strengthen his options while remaining within the club’s financial limitations.
“The ownership is undoubtedly making an effort, within the limits of what can be done and the type of signings we can complete,” he said. “We hope to finish building the squad, but if we remain like this, we will fight anyway. We will not back down.”
“The Champions League and the league season are very long marathons. They are not sprints.”
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