Speaking at a press conference on the eve of the match against Bayer Leverkusen, de RossiRoma coach, spoke about the match and the conditions of Lukaku and Smalling above all.
How is Lukaku? Is he ready to play? Can Smalling play and Llorente goes to the right?
“Lukaku has very little training on his legs, but he has been out for a short time. We’ll take another day to evaluate. He seems to be doing quite well, maybe today we’ll push a little more and then we’ll decide. I still have some doubts. Smalling did an entire training session on the line, I hope and plan to recover both of them. We will see the management of the playing time. As for the tactical question of Llorente on the right… it can be there. We also evaluate them based on how they are, we try to think about everything.”
What do you fear about Bayer? “There is everything to fear. The way they play, they have a long streak. I respect their coach a lot. They have more work under their belts with the same coach. There is so much to fear. One thing to respect is that they are unbeaten despite often going down. In addition to being strong and playing well, they have awareness and tenacity even until the last minutes. It’s one more thing that I fear and respect about them, but there are many things. Sometimes we score in the last minutes but it also depends on our mental and physical fitness. We too often score at the end. We want to achieve our goals and we are in it until the last minutes, otherwise you won’t score in Udine, in Naples, you won’t save a goal in the 95th minute, same in Florence. Ours is a team that believes in us and has heart. From this point of view we are similar. Both teams will fight until the last second.”
Can the fact of being unbeaten weigh on Bayer Leverkusen?
“I think it’s not a burden, but there are teams that have put them in difficulty. I leave the luck to those who go to play at the casino. There’s something great about that team. They have a strong coach, perhaps the best in the world, excellent players and they play great football.”
What tattoo would you get to represent your coaching personality?
“I never thought about it. I have many, I’m tired of feeling the pain of tattoos so I stopped (laughs, ed.). First we win something important, then I’ll think about it. A calmer tattoo? As a coach you have to be calmer, you can’t make slides. Sometimes I miss that feeling, but I have my players and I believe in them 100%. I am calm because I believe in them and they have shown me that they are capable of doing everything. Now I seem calmer, but I still have the fire inside.”
Bayer Leverkusen’s last European defeat came against Roma, is it a stimulus or a fear?
“There is a cabal discourse, for those who believe in it it can be a hope. I think about preparing the match and my players. On the pitch we will find a stronger and improved team, last year they were less direct, dangerous and aware of their abilities. They have a free mind and want to be champions in Europe too. The numbers say they have changed, but just look at them. It’s a nice memory, I hope it bothers them, but we’re focusing on this match. We know that they are significantly stronger than last season.”
What do you like most about Bayer Leverkusen from a tactical point of view?
“Different things. They have strong players placed in the ideal conditions to do well. They have a physical, solid team, but they also have incredible individuality. Wirtz, Boniface, Schick has always been strong, but he is a man now. They have strong replacements, if Frimpong doesn’t play, Tella is there. They have quality players but also with great legs. They know how to play but they also know how to be direct. They have built a really strong team thanks to the coach’s ideas but also thanks to important signings.”
Is the three-man defense an idea?
“It’s a possibility. It’s something that intrigues me, it would stimulate my players to play one-on-one. Sometimes you stop a little too long to see a three or four defense, it’s false to say that this team can’t play a three-man defense just because we struggled at times. I think that the three-man defense, if done with attacking defenders, is an interesting thing. It could be an important countermove for tomorrow too. But that doesn’t mean we’ll play it.”
Where can the match be decided? Can the 4-3-3 be a winning weapon?
“Absolutely yes. Games can also be won with two different formations, the initial lineup is not decisive. Before we played in fixed positions, now we move a lot more on the pitch. The form you start with only matters up to a certain point. The full-back was previously only on the wing, now he is much further inside the field. It’s not a 4-3-3 discussion. If the opposing full-back comes in, what’s the point of staying on the wing? Overlays are a solution regardless of the module.”
Are you willing to change your playing style to compete against Leverkusen?
“We know their style of play. We know we have to attack, but at the same time be careful. Now we are focused on the first match and then we will think about the return. We don’t think about last year’s semi-final, because so much has changed. They are the same clubs, but they are different teams. They have a greater awareness that they are German champions. They’re undefeated, but we can do it.”
