The Giallorossi coach after their elimination by Torino in the Coppa Italia: “Vaz? It’s a team that focuses a lot on the long term and thinks about the future. If the goal is to develop the young players, that’s fine—as long as it’s clear, and we also give playing time to 16-year-olds and Primavera players like Arena…”

The “Baroni curse” continues for Gasperini. And the Coppa Italia becomes the first missed target of the season for a Roma side that was too distracted on defense. But the performance still leaves a smile on the Giallorossi coach’s face. “The boys came back twice in the game, and I’m satisfied with the performance against a good Torino side,” Gasp admitted. “I’m less happy about the goal we conceded in the 90th minute, but I really liked the spirit, and I’m going home grateful to my players. It’s clear that we rotated the roster a lot, but the game was wide open and we could have even won it. Then there was that corner kick that leaves us feeling bitter because at that point we thought we were headed to a penalty shootout.”

While waiting for the new signings, the Giallorossi coach had to draw on all available resources, including Arena. “He’s a young man with a strong competitive drive. He’s powerful and fearless. We’re talking about a very young player.” And when the topic turns to the transfer market, Gasp’s smile fades a bit. “I expected more support in the transfer market in July or August; now it’s more difficult,” Gasperini reiterates. “We’re lacking in certain areas—that’s evident. But so far we’ve still had a good season, and we want to keep it going. Vaz? He’s a signing by a team that focuses heavily on development and thinks about the future. If the goal is to develop the young players, that’s fine—as long as it’s clear, and we also give playing time to 16-year-olds and Primavera players like Arena. We need to decide whether we want to be competitive right away or focus on developing the young players.” Finally, some kind words for Bailey: “He played center forward with a spirit I hadn’t seen in him in five months. He seems to have recovered; he showed energy. I’m sorry I put him in a difficult position, in a role he’s never played before, where he showed self-sacrifice and even risked making a few mistakes. Unfortunately, he’s always been plagued by injuries