Gasperini set to meet with Roma’s ownership

Roma returned to victory in Lecce, responding on the pitch to their stinging defeat in Bergamo, but tensions remain high within the club.

Gian Piero Gasperini, despite the emergency win at the Via del Mare, chose not to make any comments after the match, neither on TV nor in the press room.

The coach clearly expected that most of the questions from reporters would once again focus on the transfer market, a topic that has created more than a rift in relations between him and the management.

After the defeats against Juventus and Atalanta, some very heated exchanges took place between Massara and Gasperini. The Giallorossi coach believes he has done his best with the squad at his disposal, and the numbers, despite the defeats against the big teams, support his sentiment: it had been almost a decade since Roma finished the first half of the season with 36 points.

Gasperini, in particular (and he’s made no secret of it, even recently with some clearly directed quips…), expected this winter transfer window to begin under very different auspices.

In September, he nipped in the bud the controversy already brewing in the city over the lack of attacking arrivals, which he had been clamoring for throughout August, even stating even before then that he could try to relaunch those players he had already partially rejected (from Dovbyk to Baldanzi, to name a few).

Conversations with the owners had led to reassurances that were later evaded due to a series of errors made in various negotiations.

Now, tensions have returned to a fever pitch, due to the handling of the Raspadori and Zirkzee cases.

Two negotiations that seemed to be well-defined in terms of terms and timing, are now far from being concluded. Massara’s comments before the Lecce match confirm this (and likely weren’t appreciated by Gasperini any further).

The news that follows the coach’s decision to remain silent is another, perhaps even more important, one. Tomorrow, there will be a meeting between the coach and the Friedkins, who will be arriving in the capital in the next few hours.

This meeting was already scheduled before today’s match and the decision not to speak, requested yesterday by Gasp during an initial conference call.

The atmosphere is very tense, and the coach now expects immediate responses. At least four reinforcements are needed, objective needs dictated by various needs, including injuries, the inconclusiveness of some players, and sporting prospects tied to the important objectives Roma will be working towards in this second half of the season.

The Piedmontese coach has made no secret of his ambition in the press conference over the past month and has repeatedly made clear his enthusiasm for this Roman adventure, while also implying that greater effort is needed from everyone.

The delayed timeline and the difficulties in delivering at least one of the objectives set in December to Trigoria have opened a Pandora’s box that was already boiling. On the eve of this summit, it’s impossible to rule out any scenario, such as the possibility that the internal structure at Trigoria could change again.