Sabatini: Gasperini’s complaint inelegant, but Roma future not uncertain

Former Roma director Walter Sabatini feels Gian Piero Gasperini’s complaints against director Frederic Massara are ‘not elegant’, but this doesn’t mean the coach will leave the Olimpico at the end of the season.

Ex-Roma director Sabatini believes Gasperini has been unfair towards Massara with repeated complaints about the Giallorossi’s transfer activity.

“The confrontation has been ongoing for quite some time, and it seems to be a fairly repetitive phenomenon in today’s football,” Sabatini told Gazzetta.

“Public complaining often happens, but in Gasperini’s case, it’s also a way of being and negotiating. I believe it’s also a strategy, admittedly not a very elegant one.”

Gasperini raised eyebrows on Monday, following a 1-0 loss against Udinese, defiantly suggesting that the Giallorossi should change coach in the summer if they fail to qualify for the Champions League in 2025-26.

Sabatini, however, doesn’t believe that Gasperini will leave the Stadio Olimpico after just one season, even if he fails to end up in the top four.

“I don’t think so. He’s always communicated this way; he did the same in Bergamo to fire up the environment,” said the Italian football director.

“I don’t think he’s unhappy with the transfer market. This is part of his working method. Gasperini has always built things over time and will continue to do so, even with this attitude.

“In fact, next season he will have the advantage of being able to identify players earlier and getting to know the noise of this city better.”

Roma signed Donyell Malen, Robinio Vaz, Lorenzo Venturino and Bryan Zaragoza in the January transfer window, and Sabatini entirely approved the Giallorossi’s transfer activity during the winter window.

“No doubt for me. Roma have had the best transfer window in Serie A,” he said.

“Massara has put together a thoughtful and coherent transfer strategy that has addressed the team’s own needs. Roma were already playing well and had a clear identity, but they needed a different depth in attack to have more options during matches. Today, the department is clearly more complete with physically strong players like Malen, Vaz and others who bring pace and dribbling like Zaragoza.”

Roma are currently out of the top four, but are just two points below Juventus, who occupy a Champions League spot.

The Giallorossi will play their next Serie A match on Monday, February 9, against Cagliari at the Stadio Olimpico.