Roma coach avoids fresh clash with Ranieri and praises team reaction after tense week
Following a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Atalanta, Gian Piero Gasperini struck a defiant but controlled tone, refusing to escalate the ongoing tension with Claudio Ranieri while emphasizing his team’s response on the pitch.
The result keeps Roma firmly in the European race but deals a potential blow to their Champions League ambitions, as Juventus risk pulling further away. Still, Gasperini focused less on the standings and more on the context surrounding the match.
“I’ve been dragged into this situation for a week, and nothing else has been talked about,” he said after the game. “I don’t want to respond about me or Ranieri. It’s not something nice for the many fans who were at the stadium today.”
“Don’t put me on the same level”
Despite attempting to avoid controversy, Gasperini made his position clear when pressed again on the issue.
“The fans are right—they don’t deserve the theater we’ve seen this week. The whistles are for what happened before the match, and I can’t blame them,” he admitted.
“But don’t put me on the same level as those who made certain statements… I’m not the one who brought certain things out. I continue not to want to respond.”
The Roma coach, who had shown visible emotion in the previous days, even addressed his tears with a touch of irony:
“I’m getting older, I get emotional. But the response from my team has been fantastic—I have to thank them even more today.”
A draw that helps—but not enough
On the pitch, Roma delivered a solid performance, arguably deserving more than a point.
“We saw a good Roma today,” Gasperini said. “Carnesecchi made several important saves. I think we produced more than Atalanta and tried harder to win the match. In the second half, a bit of fatigue set in, but we always pushed for the three points.”
The draw allows Roma to keep Atalanta at bay and rejoin Como in fifth place, but the bigger target remains uncertain.
“We have five matches left and we’re fighting for our objectives. We’re four points ahead of Atalanta, and Roma has had a great campaign. Other teams are struggling too, so we’ll see what happens.”
Defensive struggles and injuries take their toll
Gasperini also pointed to the impact of injuries on Roma’s defensive consistency over the course of the season.
“Until December we had continuity in our lineup, which guaranteed stronger defensive solidity,” he explained.
“The arrival of Malen improved us going forward, but we started losing too many players, and inevitably we paid the price.”
Despite those issues, Roma have remained competitive in direct clashes, even if wins have been hard to come by.
“We’re just missing that last step—we’ve played all these games on equal terms. Apart from Como, we haven’t lost a direct clash. Inter are on another level.”
Eyes on the finish line
With five games remaining, Gasperini reiterated his commitment to finishing the season strongly, postponing any broader discussions about the future.
“Let’s close this season well. For me, it’s been an extraordinary experience despite the initial skepticism. The team keeps following me, the fans appreciate me, and I thank them for that. In a month, we’ll address everything else.”
For now, Roma remain in the hunt—but as Gasperini made clear, both on and off the field, the focus must return to football.
