Roma manager Gian Piero Gasperini was interviewed shortly after the Giallorossi’s 2-3 defeat to Torino in Coppa Italia.
In his post-match analysis with Sport Mediaset, Gasperini said, “I saw a lot of good things; the boys came back twice. We rotated the squad a lot; there were chances even with Arena, and we could have won. The goal conceded from a corner leaves us disappointed; we thought we were going to penalties.”
“I’m satisfied with what I have; we had a very good first half of the season and everyone responded positively. Right now, there’s talk of the transfer market, but we have games to play. I’m happy for Arena; he’s 16. Now another very young player has arrived; we’ll try to make the most of these guys.”
On Robinio Vaz’s signing, “It’s part of the vision of a team that thinks from a long-term perspective. There’s a very long-term project here.”
On 16-year-old Arena scoring on his senior debut: “He’s incredibly competitive, has tons of strength, and is fearless. He also plays for the national team’s youth teams. We’re talking about very young players, and that should be the principle. It’s not true that I’m disappointed; I’m very satisfied. I’m disappointed by the goal we conceded in the 90th minute, otherwise it would have been a positive match for the spirit shown on the pitch and for these young players.”
“This was a good match. If the goal is to develop the players, that’s fine, as long as it’s clear and we also let the 16-year-olds and the Primavera players play.”
“The team is definitely competitive, otherwise it wouldn’t have achieved these results. We’re a team with great spirit; for example, Bailey showed lively play this evening, but he played out of position. I thank him for what he brought to the table. Perhaps a young player like Arena, with the qualities of a striker, was more decisive than him. We’re lacking in some situations, and less so in others. We need to figure out what we need to do: whether to be competitive immediately or focus on youth.”