On Friday, AS Roma manager Gian Piero Gasperini expressed his surprise at recent remarks made by the club’s senior adviser, Claudio Ranieri, and became quite emotional when discussing his former club Atalanta, which he is set to face on Saturday.
Ranieri made a comeback from retirement last season as Roma’s manager, guiding them from the lower end of the table to a respectable fifth-place finish before transitioning to his current role. This followed Gasperini’s departure from Atalanta after nine successful years to take the helm at Roma.
Ranieri, unhappy with Gasperini’s critique of the club’s transfer activities, recently shared with DAZN that no player was acquired without the manager’s consent.
“Honestly, it was a complete shock for me, as there has never been, and I emphasise never, a strained relationship between myself and Ranieri,” Gasperini expressed to the media.
“Since that moment, my focus has solely been on two things: firstly, not reacting, and secondly, even though I may have been unintentionally dragged into this, doing my utmost to avoid causing any disruption or trouble for the team.”
“I would have liked to avert this situation altogether, but that was beyond my control. Therefore, moving forward, I genuinely wish to concentrate on football.”
No Excuses
Last season, Ranieri brought Roma within a point of Champions League qualification. Meanwhile, Gasperini’s squad currently sits in sixth place, three points adrift of the fourth position.
“For me, for the team, and for the upcoming fixture, the impact is absolutely negligible,” Gasperini stated. “We’ve endeavoured to concentrate solely on the technical aspects and the match itself, as it is crucial for me not to generate excuses or bring any harm to the team and the fans.”
Gasperini elaborated on the factors contributing to his triumph at Atalanta.
“The unique aspect of Atalanta is that they consistently competed in Europe for nine years against top-tier Italian and European clubs while also achieving profits,” he noted.
“This was remarkable, not solely due to my efforts, but significantly thanks to a club that functioned exceptionally well in tandem with the coach.”
“Eventually, that synergy altered—partly due to a change in ownership and partly because the former president, to whom I felt a deeper connection, was no longer involved.”
Clearly moved, Gasperini then rose and exited the room.
Compiled by SportArena.au
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