Walter Sabatini dismisses speculation surrounding Rudi Garcia’s job at Roma, and discusses signing Gonzalo Higuain and Edinson Cavani.
The Giallorossi’s drop in form has resulted in Coppa Italia elimination this week, fan discontent, and early speculation that the club and its Coach could part ways in the summer.
However, the team’s sporting director has been quick to point out the close relationship the club has with the Frenchman.
Walter Sabatini dismisses speculation surrounding Rudi Garcia’s job at Roma, and discusses signing Gonzalo Higuain and Edinson Cavani.
The Giallorossi’s drop in form has resulted in Coppa Italia elimination this week, fan discontent, and early speculation that the club and its Coach could part ways in the summer.
However, the team’s sporting director has been quick to point out the close relationship the club has with the Frenchman.
“He takes his responsibilities, like with the players, whilst I take my own,” said Sabatini in today's Press conference.
“The decline of the team depends on a variety of factors. Aside from the contingent ones, something chemical changed within the team.
“Sometimes it's the psyche that changes and that cannot be controlled. Last year we had an association in which everyone came in aid of each other and mistakes were not dwelt on.
“This year things are not like this. Personal objectives have changed and there is some fear.
“It will take an extraordinary work on the side of the Coach and the team. They must isolate themselves to find the solution and return to being a strong, incisive team.
“Garcia will not be leaving Roma until he has won the Scudetto. He said this in the face of other offers that nobody else would have turned down.
“As for myself, I absolutely will not leave Roma. I want to go all the way and do something important. I want to stay here, just like Garcia, who is a great Coach.
“He is the Coach Roma needs. Garcia means to honour his work with Roma, even though he received offers that have been defined as impossible to renounce.
“I am expecting something more from [Miralem] Pjanic. He isn't doing very well, he plays conditioned by a problem with his tendon. But it will pass in just a few days.”
Sabatini was also questioned as to why he did not purchase Gonzalo Higuain when the price of €50m matched Roma's total expenses.
“He wasn't offered to me. He has a clause of €100m. We spent less than that amount, and for three players.
“When you speculate on a certain type of purchase, you read things like Ronaldo costing €30m. [Juan] Iturbe costed €23m plus €2-3m of commission, not €31m, and he's an important player. Just look at [Adem] Ljajic's goal in Florence.
“We can't buy the players, Jim Pallotta wants to win the Scudetto, and if we don't do it this year then we'll do it next year, because this is Roma's target and Pallotta is doing some incredible work to always win it.
“Having said that, let's not talk of why we did not sign [Paris Saint-Germain's Edinson] Cavani. He'd cost the same as the club's total revenue.
“We purchased [Seydou] Doumbia, who scores 0.9 goals per game. You always lamented Roma's sterility when finalising, and we intervened on that.
“What am I supposed to tell people? I'm buying a player that costs like a year's worth of operations.
“A few years from now it's not going to be like this because Roma will have many sources of revenue. Now things aren't like that, but Roma exists. One day they're going to tell you of all the work that the club is doing.”
It was pointed out to the mercato wizard that the players from the Giallorossi's youth system are not finding much space.
“It might be for the best, because if their performances end up being poor it's best not to make them play [in reference to Leandro Paredes]. Young guns represent a risk but our project with youth will always go ahead.
“Our lads are footballers we want to keep with us and then send out in other circuits, like [Tin] Jedvaj, that earned Roma a small profit. [Fitness Coach Paolo] Rongoni works 12-13 hours a day, taking great care in the solutions that he proposes.
“Injuries result from the stress produced by the pitch. We can't blame everything on the fitness Coach. I know he's talking with the Coach on many things and the types of training. He has the club's trust and we're going ahead with him.
“As for [Mattia] Destro, the Coach would have kept him. When looking at his path with Roma, I realised the pressure placed on him was too great.
“I gave him the chance to play some more with Milan. If they purchase him then I'll have the resources to invest on another player and I already know who that is.”
Finally, Sabatini was asked whether the 3-2 defeat against Juventus in October had a negative effect on the team's morale.
“We'll make no further comments. It passed and we lost it. Let's wait for the one we still have to play.”
The Giallorossi will confront the Old Lady again on March 2, at the Olimpico in Rome.