Walter Sabatini claims Milan and Inter “would like to be” in Roma’s shoes after taking aim at members of the Italian Press for trying to “destroy” the club.
Speaking in the fourth and final part of his farewell Press conference on Friday, Sabatini also made it clear James Pallottas heart was in the right place, despite disagreements behind the scenes prompting the 61-year-old to step down as Roma sporting director.
Walter Sabatini claims Milan and Inter “would like to be” in Roma’s shoes after taking aim at members of the Italian Press for trying to “destroy” the club.
Speaking in the fourth and final part of his farewell Press conference on Friday, Sabatini also made it clear James Pallottas heart was in the right place, despite disagreements behind the scenes prompting the 61-year-old to step down as Roma sporting director.
“Massara worked with me before, he’s very competent and now it’s up to him,” he explained.
“I have great confidence in him, you will see him work better and with a lot of education. Roma will have a [bright] future, even with him.
“Here there are also other important leaders, so one of you [reporters] will explain to me one day the [media’s] need to destroy any figure who works for the club.
“I’ve made many mistakes, I’ve always stressed this, but I see that there’s always a tendency to make Baldini and Baldissoni seem incapable.
“I’m not accusing [the Press] and I accept my responsibilities. This isn’t an attack on the Press, but certain attitudes should be emphasised.
“Maybe it’s better that Roma are weak so they’re more easily attacked. I don’t have to defend anyone, I’m talking about a general problem. I trust these directors, so don’t always criticise them.
“I repeat, I’m not criticising anyone because some of your criticism has also helped me. You have to support Roma, a club that must strive for the best.
“In the summer we tried to improve the squad for various reasons, although of course it’s much easier to achieve results with a project that doesn’t change often.
“I’m convinced Pallotta knows the value of this club and the where they’re located. People want the best for Rome, he knows this perfectly.
“The question is cultural, he’s an American entrepreneur who’s attentive to statistics, while I’m a lone, crepuscular European.
“He lives and thinks football as well as he does business, I’m different. From here, there have been some problems and contractual termination, but we have a good relationship.
“Roma are alive, we’ve had an important points average with both Garcia and Spalletti.
“Milan and Inter would like to be Roma, we ran into Juventus’ extraordinary cycle and weren’t lucky.
“For Pallotta, Roma are a passion and a privilege. He wants to make this club strong and knows that the stadium would be a great thing to make them internationally competitive.
“He wants to go forward and hopes to be successful. We’ll leave it here, it was a pleasure. Please note: this wasn’t an attack on the Press, but rather individuals.”