(PRIMASPORT) ROME Gian Piero Gasperini spoke on the eve of the Champions League match between Roma and Real Madrid, emphasizing the importance of maintaining his team's playing identity. "Our attitude led us to third place and the Champions League last year. We have characteristics that we won't change, even though we know Real Madrid's strengths," the coach stated.
Gasperini also commented on the opponent's difficulty, explaining: "When you think you can cause problems for Real Madrid, that's often when you concede. This is a chance to test ourselves against them, after facing Inter and Como, two of the best teams in Italy. We want to see how competitive we can be at European level.".
Regarding his Champions League goals, Gasperini said: "My goal is to do better than we did against Atalanta, even though we started lower than Roma. We didn't win the Champions League, but we did win the Europa League. However, our football must focus on improvement and growth, considering that the last Champions League won by an Italian team was Inter in 2011.".
Finally, the coach described the timing of the match as satisfactory: "It's a good time for us to face Real Madrid, one of the strongest teams in Europe. While they may need some time to get used to it, they remain a prestigious team, capable of beating Inter in the Champions League. It will be a very valuable match." (PRIMASPORT)
