Aurelio Andreazzoli hit back at Roma’s critics and stood up for Pablo Daniel Osvaldo ahead of the trip to Torino and Coppa Italia semi-final with Inter.
Aurelio Andreazzoli hit back at Roma’s critics and stood up for Pablo Daniel Osvaldo ahead of the trip to Torino and Coppa Italia semi-final with Inter.
The Giallorossi are fresh from a 1-1 draw with rivals Lazio, visit Torino in Serie A on Sunday afternoon and Inter at San Siro in the Coppa on Wednesday evening.
“It is easy to find negatives from the last two games, but Roma were accused of having a poor approach to the Derby and that is not true,” insisted the Coach.
“In fact, we were exemplary, creating good chances and then conceding a Lazio goal. After the penalty, we were exemplary to the end of the game and could well have won the derby. Analysis of a performance should not be based solely on the result.”
Ivan Piris and Osvaldo return from suspension, but there are more reports in the papers today that Nicolas Andre Burdisso lectured Osvaldo in the locker room.
“Osvaldo is great. The role of a striker is a strange one and history speaks of so many curious stories. When a forward doesn’t score, he always has difficulties and struggles to find a balance.
“Osvaldo was unlucky, then certain situations were blown out of all proportion. We entered into a vortex that damaged him, but the reality is not the one painted by the media. It’s a shame he isn’t able to do what everyone expects of him.
“If I say that nothing happened in the locker room, you all say I’m stupid,” continued Andreazzoli in the Press conference.
“Something happens in every place where there are interpersonal relationships, even in a family. But families don’t go around telling people what happened in house. It’s just the principle of good behaviour.
“It’s really not good for the journalists to say who wants to hurt Roma or deserves to leave. I would gladly do without reading the papers, as people do not care about this club if they write things that aren’t true. I am here to help the team and not to make a career. I work here 24 hours a day and am irritated by everything that annoys the team, including the behaviour of some players.”
Andreazzoli also commented on tomorrow’s opponents Torino, who were promoted from Serie B last season under Giampiero Ventura and his 4-2-4 system.
“They are the team with the most precise identity in Serie A, which is thanks to Ventura. They cause problems for everyone who faces them, so we hope to limit their peculiar characteristics.”