Rudi Garcia insists his only regret about Roma this season is the first half against Napoli. “I don’t even regret Bayern Munich.”
Rudi Garcia insists his only regret about Roma this season is the first half against Napoli. “I don’t even regret Bayern Munich.”
The Giallorossi are three points adrift of Juventus in the Serie A table and lost back-to-back Champions League ties with Bayern, but remain second in that group.
“Roma are in the running for everything,” Garcia told Roma TV.
“We are second in Serie A and, if we cancel out the game in Turin, we are on a par with Juve, even if they remain favourites for the title. The icing on the cake is our chance to qualify for the next round of the Champions League.”
Roma hammered CSKA Moscow 5-1 in that opener and it now looks like a head-to-head with the Russians to qualify behind Bayern Munich.
“In the first four games we played Bayern Munich twice and visited Manchester City, so I honestly did not expect to be second in the group at this stage. I knew it would be important to win the first match on home turf and now those three points are weighing heavily on the outcome.”
Despite a 7-1 defeat to Bayern at the Stadio Olimpico, Garcia gave a surprising answer when asked for his biggest regret of the campaign.
“We have always played the same way. Perhaps the only regret is the first half against Napoli, as perhaps we could’ve picked up a point in that game. Apart from that I have no regrets, not even against Bayern," he said of the 2-0 loss at the San Paolo.
“Let’s not forget we risked an equaliser against Bayern with Gervinho, then there was that psychological collapse, but it can also represent a chance to grow and improve.”