Roma's head coach Gian Piero Gasperini commented on the emotional connection between the fans of the “Roman Wolves“ and the team's former coach Jose Mourinho on the eve of the highly anticipated match against Real Madrid. The Portuguese specialist is currently at the helm of the Spanish giant and returns to Rome for the decisive match.
The Italian coach emphasized that despite the strong respect, the fans of the “Olimpico“ will stand firmly behind their current team at the first whistle.
„There was a great love between Mourinho and the fans and we owe him all the respect. But I am convinced that when the match starts tomorrow, feelings will be put aside and the Roma fans will only support their team“, said Gasperini, quoted by Gazzetta dello Sport.
With his characteristic sense of humor, Gasperini did not fail to comment on the working style of his Portuguese colleague, referring to the large-scale selection processes that Mourinho traditionally leads at his clubs:
“If I had to take something from him, it would be his ability to manage to buy great players, even though this costs the clubs a lot of money In this respect, he is truly fantastic.“
Excellent form and high stakes for the classificationRegarding Roma's sporting and technical condition, Gasperini expressed satisfaction with his team's performance and the momentum gained. He acknowledged the class of the opponent, but expressed confidence in the capabilities of his players:
“We are in a good moment and we are in excellent form. We have a great desire to face one of the biggest teams in Europe, although at the moment they are still in the process of being built under the leadership of their new coach. We must not forget that this is a team that recently beat Inter. This match is extremely prestigious for us and is of great importance for the standings.“