Roma legend Abel Balbo believes Roma are ‘ready to win now’ and reserves praise for Mattia Destro and Rudi Garcia.
The Argentine enjoyed two spells and totalled seven years with the Giallorossi and, as a member of the 2001 Scudetto-winning squad, sees potential for success this season.
“The feeling is good, very positive,” Balbo has told Radio Roma today.
“Roma are at the forefront in the fight for the Scudetto. Although we have seen little of them so far, the job done last season has influence.
Roma legend Abel Balbo believes Roma are ‘ready to win now’ and reserves praise for Mattia Destro and Rudi Garcia.
The Argentine enjoyed two spells and totalled seven years with the Giallorossi and, as a member of the 2001 Scudetto-winning squad, sees potential for success this season.
“The feeling is good, very positive,” Balbo has told Radio Roma today.
“Roma are at the forefront in the fight for the Scudetto. Although we have seen little of them so far, the job done last season has influence.
“I predict a great season and I hope I’m not wrong.
“I think that the squad is excellent and in Italy it is the most complete. In the Champions League, factors such as experience come into play and an absence of this does weight in such games.
“There are strong people [in the squad now], used to playing these games.”
Balbo was very complimentary of Coach Rudi Garcia.
“He is a very intelligent person who knows how to make the most of the players that he has.
“Roma play a different kind of football to other Italian teams, very European, at times very beautiful. He manages to win by playing beautiful football.
“The team is ready to win now. Garcia is a great communicator. It can be seen that the group is very united and that counts for a lot in football.”
The Argentine reflected also on Mattia Destro’s position within the team and his potential.
“I think he is an extraordinary striker, a great bomber, who can have a great career.
“The goalkeeper and the striker are two particular roles – the centre-forward must be ready to score even if few balls arrive, and you have to train for it.
“I was training a lot because I knew that in certain games I would have few opportunities to score.
“He is intelligent as he can see what will happen before it does.”
Finally Balbo was asked what he believes is need to turn Italian football around.
“I don’t have the recipe. I think we need to work more on the youth sector and enhance the Italian players. I agree with the mandate of four to five Italians in every starting line-up.”