Roma director Tiago Pinto opened up about the club’s work in the summer transfer window, Jose Mourinho’s contract situation and why a top four finish is so important.
The Giallorossi were heavily restricted by financial limitations this summer, imposed by their Financial Fair Play settlement agreement with UEFA, forcing them to carry out a low-cost market focused on loan deals and free transfers. The only definitive deal was the €2.5m spent on Leandro Paredes.
The arrival of Romelu Lukaku late in the summer led many fans to believe that Roma could seriously challenge for a top four finish this season, but after picking up one point in their first three games enthusiasm has dampened a little.
Speaking in a press conference, Pinto first discussed Mourinho’s future. The coach has entered the last year of his contract in the Italian capital.
“We at this moment the questions of renewals, which are important issues dealt with in the right places, we won’t address them publicly.
“We are fired up and motivated to resume what is our goal and our strength to bring home results. Issues that are important for the management, such as contracts, will be dealt with internally.”
He was asked if there’d come a point where Roma would start to invest more heavily in young players.
“When a market session starts, I think we need to put three plans together: one is the technical one, we always try to make a better team. If we compare the players who left with those who came in my opinion the team has improved, we have more solutions.
“Then we have the economic plan: we are in a settlement agreement, where in two years we have to be able to spend 70% of the club’s revenue on the team. So, while some sports directors were enjoying their holidays, I went all June to try to bring home economic results.
“After that there is also the strategic plan: for a club like Roma to get out of this situation, it is important to sign young players and future prospects, with also economic results.
“If we had paid €20m for Ndicka and €20m for Aouar, maybe this question wouldn’t have been put like this, they are both under 25 with a lot of experience.
“With the stakes we have, we are trying to balance all these three plans and you can understand that it’s not easy. Since Mourinho’s arrival the youth system has always been a main part of the strategy, he has always focused on it from day one.
“Today we have two players like Zalewski and Bove who are part of the first team. The fact that we increased the wage bill is true, but we managed to put these three plans together.”
He was also asked about the club’s interest in Marcos Leonardo.
“He is a target. These perspective players are part of our plans. Today these players have important values.”
Pinto discussed Roma’s desire to finish in the top four, keen to secure a return to the Champions League, and if there was tension between him and Mourinho.
“There is no clash between me and Mourinho, we speak the same language and everything we think we say to each other’s faces. We are both motivated to carry out Roma’s projects and do the best for the team.
“The subject of the Champions League, from the first day I’m at Roma, I’ve understood that it’s the club’s great ambition and mine personally. Whether we qualify or not is different, whether we have to or not I won’t say.
“But when I sign players like Lukaku, Abraham, Aouar we have to convince them with these goals. With all due respect to Roma and their fans and the city, we are not Manchester City. I might have wanted to get Rice, but we have to know the reality.
“On the subject of injuries, apart from Dybala, who was very important for us last season. Since Mourinho and his staff arrived, we have managed to put many players who had problems on a good recovery.
“Anything that goes wrong with Renato Sanches will only have one person responsible, Tiago Pinto. I am obsessed with him. At Benfica I wanted to get him and failed, at Roma I succeeded. He had problems in the past, if he has them in the future, it will be my fault.
“But with this staff and this coach, we are capable of making him perform at his best. That’s why we drew up a contract that if he plays a certain number of games, we have to buy him.
“If things go well, we are all happy, if they go wrong, I am responsible because I am aware of the risks. I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to bring him here.”
Finally, Pinto was asked if Roma would treat referees the same this season as they did last campaign.
“All my friends will laugh in Portugal, my history is not positive. We are on the third day of the season, I don’t want to make wars or drama. We have to hear what the referees say, and they have to hear us.
“I’ve stopped a bit, I don’t understand anything anymore. I don’t know how to answer. Today I don’t understand anything, and I struggle to answer. I can’t understand the difference between Zaniolo at Napoli and Rui Patricio against Milan.
“It’s not a criticism. What I feel is that there is football played and VAR football. More than drama and interviews, responsible people need to hear what coaches and players say.
“On some things I feel it’s difficult to say an opinion, when you don’t understand the uniformity and the weather, not only in Italy.
“We know that with the heat of the games and wanting to win when we feel we are being treated unfairly, we have attitudes that people don’t like. But I struggle to understand the path that football follows.”