Coach Luciano Spalletti promises “Roma will become a great team” and denies criticising the club.
The Giallorossi have sold Miralem Pjanic after Juventus activated his release clause, leading to rumours of tension behind the scenes.
“I don’t understand why it works like this, I haven’t criticised anyone,” Spalletti insisted on Roma Radio after today’s training session at Trigoria.
Coach Luciano Spalletti promises “Roma will become a great team” and denies criticising the club.
The Giallorossi have sold Miralem Pjanic after Juventus activated his release clause, leading to rumours of tension behind the scenes.
“I don’t understand why it works like this, I haven’t criticised anyone,” Spalletti insisted on Roma Radio after today’s training session at Trigoria.
“Roma will become a great team, also on the level of the club, despite some attempts to turn us against each other with these fake interviews. No-one has spoken with me.
“Then the phonecalls come and I ask who has written these things, I haven’t said anything of this kind. I speak with those I work with every day, as well as trying to get my thoughts across, it stays between us.
“We have to put the defence in place, as [sporting director Walter] Sabatini also knows, we’ve lost three out of four starters.
“Well, two-and-a-half, [Antonio] Rüdiger was a starter, [Lucas] Digne was a starter, Maicon was a great.
“[Alessandro] Florenzi has done very well in that role, but it’s always been a matter of trying to clarify his exact position.
“The club is working on the problems which exist in football, and which affect a lot of clubs. Unfortunately there are also those who have been part of their national teams.”
That prompted Spalletti to give his opinion on the Azzurri’s Euro 2016 campaign, which saw them exit at the Quarter-Final stage.
“It was a national team which paid tribute to our history, it showed that through hard work you can make up for differences in quality.
“When you get that far and go out on penalties I don’t think it’s ever a failure. When you play openly against Germany and come back from a goal down it’s a tribute to the work that’s been done.
“They did a great thing, they deserved it because they worked well.”
Daniele De Rossi picked up an injury on international duty, and Spalletti discussed his vice-captain.
“Daniele had a great Euros, aside from the match against Germany when he wasn’t available. He ended the season well with us, he got back to starting and at the start there were some difficulties.
“Florenzi also did well, he was used in a number of roles because he has the quality of being flexible and able to operate in many roles.
“He’ll be here on Thursday night, now it’s time for Doctor Del Vescovo, he’ll be the Coach in this period and we’ll train very well for three or four days.”