Gian Piero Gasperini Set For ‘Emergency’ Roma Talks After Media Snub
The 67-year-old is dissatisfied with the club's failure to land their targets this month.
Gian Piero Gasperini will hold ’emergency’ transfer talks with Roma today, according to reports in Italy.
Gian Piero Gasperini Angry With Roma Transfer Failure
Despite I Giallorossi clinching a crucial 2-0 victory against Lecce on Tuesday night, tensions remain high.
Gasperini did not conduct his usual post-match media duties, with no formal reason given for his refusal. However, it has been suggested he had wanted to dodge awkward questions over the lack of business this month.
This topic is believed to have caused friction between the head coach and the hierarchy.
Indeed, after the recent defeats by Juventus and Atalanta, Gasperini was embroiled in heated exchanges with director Ricky Massara.
The 67-year-old is adamant he has done the best he can with the squad at his disposal, and urgently wants reinforcements, especially up front, as he looks to end Roma’s goalscoring dilemma.
The failure to sign Atletico Madrid’s Giacomo Raspadori and Manchester United’s Joshua Zirkzee has only added to Gasperini’s exasperation.
Despite this, Massara stressed yesterday that the hunt for a new striker was “not an emergency”.
In a bid to bring an end to the stand-off, a meeting will be held between Gasperini and the Friedkins, who will shortly arrive in Rome. The meeting was already scheduled before the win at Lecce, according to RomaPress.
The same outlet have claimed the atmosphere is ‘very tense’, with the manager expecting an immediate response.
Gasperini may need as many as four signings this month as Roma look to seal a Champions League spot.
Per La Gazzetta dello Sport, the relationship between Gasperini and Massara has ‘never blossomed’, but Dan Friedkin will look to quell the tension by listening to the head coach’s demands at today’s summit.
Ricky Massara Admits Transfer Difficulties
Speaking earlier this week, Massara confirmed negotiations were underway over Raspadori and admitted that their Zirkzee pursuit had been complicated by the sacking of Ruben Amorim at Old Trafford.
“It’s true that there are negotiations in progress with both Atletico Madrid and Raspadori,” he told Sky Sport.
“The situation is evolving. We knew the timing could be affected by the Spanish Super Cup. We expect it to be resolved one way or another fairly soon.”
On Zirkzee, Massara added: “He is a Manchester United centre-forward liked by many clubs, not just us. Naturally, the situation is different after this change of management.
“There are no contacts in progress, but I wouldn’t focus on individual names.
“We know this window is an opportunity to reinforce the squad in an area where we have struggled to convert chances into goals, so we will try to use it.”
Dan Davis
Dan is an experienced sports journalist and part-time lecturer. An expert on Serie A and Italian football, he has produced content for the likes of the Daily Mail, Reach PLC, GiveMeSport, FourFourTwo and GRV Media. While Channel 4's iconic Football Italia was a bit before his time, the nostalgia - and pastries - fuelled his love of all things Calcio.
Our unbiased editorial policy
Despite ongoing collaborations with commercial affiliates, the details, information, and reviews we provide remain honest and unbiased. We keep this in check by implementing a stringent editorial policy.
Our policy implements strict editorial standards, ensuring the integrity and trustworthiness of our articles, news, and reviews. Only the highest-quality content reaches our pages. We achieve this through conducting thorough research on each topic, conveyed to you using unbiased reporting, to ensure we earn your trust and keep it.
