Gian Piero Gasperini has conducted his first press conference as the manager of Roma and revealed that he turned down Juventus before heading to Rome.
Why Did Gian Piero Gasperini Turn Down Juventus?
Italian soccer fans were left stunned after Gian Piero Gasperini parted ways with Atalanta to become the new head coach at AS Roma, taking the reins from Claudio Ranieri.
The 67-year-old was the leading man in Bergamo from June 2016 to June 2025, managing 439 games in the process and winning the Europa League in 2024.
According to the reports that followed Gasperini’s departure, the Italian left Bergamo in search of a new stimuli and had a list of potential destinations.
In his first presser as Roma boss, Gasperini revealed that Juventus were in contact to appoint the veteran manager but Gasperini revealed that he preferred the path in Rome.
When asked if Juventus had been in contact, Gasperini said: “Yes, but I had a feeling that this was the right path to take for my career, despite all the risks that people are always telling me about.
“It’s the right situation for me to be able to come in and make an impact. Roma is what I am looking for right now and I have a strong conviction that I made the right choice.”
Gasperini will be looking to build on a fairly strong season, as Roma finished fifth in Serie A and qualified for European football for the 12th consecutive season.
Roma have not won the league title since 2001 and are huge outsiders to achieve this feat on Serie A betting sites, something Gasperini touched on in his presser.
What Are Gasperini’s Aims For Roma?
As previously mentioned, it has been over two decades since Roma last won the Serie A title and fans will be looking to Gasperini to end this poor run in 2026.
It has already been a chaotic start for Gasperini as Roma parted ways with Sporting Director, Florent Ghisolfi, and are going through a huge transition.
Gasperini spoke about his objectives for next season in Rome, claiming his side will not be able to compete for the league title and are focusing on Champions League qualification.
Gasperini said: “The best result will be qualification to the Champions League. Right now, Roma can’t win the Scudetto, but you never know. For me, the goal is to make this team stronger, with more national and international players that we don’t have at the moment. We have to create a strong core and have continuity. That makes teams grow.
“Gasperini was also asked what, and who, needs to change ahead of the start of the 2025-26 campaign, to which he replied: “Let’s start with what is already there for the meantime, which is a lot.
“It’s also clear that we can’t be the same as last year and I expect the incoming market can lead to improvement. It will be a mix, not a revolution everywhere, but there will be new components to improve us.”
Roma will kick off the 2025/26 campaign with a home clash against Bologna on August 24th, which will be Gasperini’s first competitive match as manager.
