Roma boss Gian Piero Gasperini feels Donyell Malen’s red card “spoiled” Como-Roma, but insists the Dutch striker did not want to offend his opponent as he watches the “absurd ice-cream frames” on TV.
Gasperini spoke to DAZN after Roma’s 0-0 away draw with Como on Sunday. This is the first goalless stalemate in the first 54 Serie A matches.
Dybala remained on the field as the lone striker and Gasperini was impressed with his performance: “I think Dybala was excellent, especially in the second half when we went down to ten men,” said the Roma coach.
“He handled very difficult situations when we were outnumbered. Like his team-mates, I believe he put in a high-quality performance. I don’t remember him clearing the ball. He had chances to score in the first half, but today it was an extraordinary performance.
“He started to make a lot of passes which allowed us to breathe and move forward up the pitch. He was probably the most influential player because he had to work between Como’s two centre-backs, but he did it with great intelligence and quality, like a real footballer who really understands the game.”
Gasperini was convinced that his team could have scored the first goal if not for Malen’s red card.
“We had a lot of good chances to score in the first half. Comeau did, but I think we gave the impression we could take the lead,” he said.
“Then, with a numerical disadvantage for more than 30 minutes, it was obviously very difficult. I don’t know how the game will end, but we were confident that we had a great chance to win. Instead, we had to defend and we did it in a very organized way. When you play 30 minutes with ten men and come away with a draw, you have to win.”
Mile Svilar has been out for a month, so Pierluigi Gollini replaced him today. The Italian footballer played in Serie A for the first time after two years.
“He was definitely very good with his hands and the ball,” Gasperini said of Gollini.
“He was alert and precise. The team created the best possible conditions for him to perform. It looks like he can replace Svilar very effectively.”
Roma next face Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid at the Stadio Olimpico in the Champions League on Wednesday.
“When I look at Real Madrid, I see a team of champions both on the pitch and on the bench,” Gasp said.
“They are one of the best teams in Europe and they had a great transfer window. Jose left an extraordinary kindness and memories with everyone there. But this is a very different type of team to the one he is coaching now. This side gives me great satisfaction because to play like we did in Como today, it took great spirit, great fitness and great heart.”
Although Gasperini seemed relatively calm during the interview, he seemed more nervous when asked about Male’s decision on the red.
“I don’t know. It was a repeated foul before,” he said.
“I think it’s hard to argue that it was violent behavior. He reacted after he stepped back. He also touched the ball. It’s a bad-looking jump, but he didn’t mean to hurt anybody.
“Of course, there was an incident that spoiled the match. It was a nice game and it got a little bit later.”
Gasperini became even more upset when DAZN showed an enlarged replay of Malen’s challenge.
“If you freeze frame, it’s easy to judge, but football is not about still images, it’s about action,” he said.
“Otherwise, you can justify anything, there was no intent to injure, and that’s the point.
“It’s time to stop judging situations through freeze-frames because they distort reality. We’ve suffered for years because of this approach. This season we’re seeing a more authentic version of football. Please, let’s not go back to these absurd freeze-frames.”