Sat. Sep 27th, 2025

Mancini: ‘Gasperini Encourages Attacking Play from Defense at Roma’

Gianluca Mancini, Roma`s center-back, has revealed that new coach Gian Piero Gasperini is encouraging him to adopt a more attacking style from his defensive position. Mancini believes Roma has the potential to excel in the Europa League this season.

Following Roma`s 2-1 victory over OGC Nice in their Europa League opener, where Mancini scored the winning goal, he spoke to the media about his evolving role under Gasperini:

“I`ve always had an attacking mindset, but it greatly depends on the coach you`re working with. Gasperini strongly emphasizes this style, so when I move forward, I know the midfielders will cover for me. We`re still adapting to the new system, but we recognized that Nice would leave some gaps for us to exploit tonight.”

Mancini explained how his offensive contributions are becoming more frequent: “Their striker struggled to track my runs. I made two attempts and managed to score twice, effectively.”

Discussing Roma`s defensive solidity, Mancini emphasized the importance of teamwork: “A strong defense isn`t just about the backline. I`ll say it a thousand times – it starts with the entire team helping to protect us. We`ve been fortunate at times and haven`t conceded many goals this season.”

Regarding Roma`s Europa League prospects, Mancini expressed confidence: “We have several players who`ve reached a Europa League Final, and Gasperini won it two years ago with Atalanta. We certainly have what it takes to succeed. However, we need to approach it one game at a time and view playing every three days as an opportunity for rapid improvement.”

As Roma continues to adapt to Gasperini`s tactics, Mancini and his teammates are optimistic about their potential in both domestic and European competitions this season.

By Vihaan Mehrotra

In the heart of Bangalore lives and works Vihaan Mehrotra, one of modern India's most insightful sports analysts. His childhood passion for cricket and field hockey evolved into a successful career. His daily column in Bangalore's digital media covers all significant world sporting events, from cricket matches to badminton tournaments. As a sports betting expert, he developed his own methodology for analyzing team statistics. His IPL match predictions are renowned for their 75% accuracy rate.

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