AS Roma new coach Gian Piero Gasperini poses with the Sports Director Florent Ghisolfi and Claudio … More
Earlier this month, AS Roma delivered arguably the biggest coup of the summer as they appointed Gian Piero Gasperini as their new Head Coach. Having overseen a stunning revolution at Atalanta, the Giallorossi will be hoping the 67-year-old can deliver similar results in the capital.
“Gasperini’s career is defined by its creative tactics, dedication to hard work, and exceptional player development,” read a statement on the club’s official website. “Both Ownership and Claudio Ranieri believe Gasperini is the right man for the mission. Welcome to the Club Mister!”
The decision to turn to the Turin native was forcibly driven by Ranieri, who retired this summer and moved from the Roma bench into a role as a director and advisor to the owners.
AS Roma want what Gasperini gave Atalanta
It was further endorsed in a statement from Dan and Ryan Friedkin, the principal owners of the club who spoke glowingly about the man chosen to lead the Giallorossi over the next few seasons.
“Roma’s journey continues with the appointment of Gian Piero Gasperini as their new coach,” they said. “A coach with great experience, personality and vision. His footballing philosophy, deep work ethic and ability to develop talent align perfectly with the identity and ambitions of AS Roma.
“We believe he is the right coach for this moment and the right leader for what is to come.”
Arriving at a club who had no fewer than three different managers last term, Roma found themselves as low as 15th in the Serie A table shortly after Ranieri’s arrival. Yet the former Chelsea and Leicester boss galvanised his hometown club, the side rallying into form and losing just once in the second half of the campaign.
Desperately needing to maintain stability, they have turned to a man who was by some distance the longest tenured Coach in Italy. Gasperini spent nine years at Atalanta, transforming them from a side who had spent much of their existence yo-yoing between Serie A and Serie B.
Indeed, the team from Bergamo boasts the record for most promotions to Italy’s top flight with 13, but became a completely different club under Gasperini’s stewardship. Qualification for the UEFA Champions League brought with it the kind of financial windfall that allowed Atalanta to buy and renovate their stadium.
Gasperini oversaw three consecutive third-place finishes in Serie A, consistently delivering the vast revenue that comes with a place in European football’s elite competition, while his player development also brought high profile transfers.
As discussed in this previous column, Atalanta have generated €521 million ($565.01 million) in player sales since the start of the 2019/20 season. That represents the eighth highest figure in all of European football, while their spending on players over the same period (€370 million/$401.25 million) gives them a transfer balance of +€152 million ($164.84 million).
Despite losing out in three Coppa Italia finals, Gasperini finally brought silverware to a club that had not won a trophy since 1963. The 2024 Europa League triumph served as vindication that the Coach could deliver tangible success, collecting his first ever winners’ medal.
Gian Piero Gasperini sets Roma expectations
But now he has made the jump to Roma, the man himself has explained that his arrival will not lead to instant transformation. According to their most recent financial reports, the club posted losses of €66 million ($72 million), which Gasperini admitted will affect them as they look to improve the squad.
“I had my first contact with Claudio Ranieri, and he described to me the reality of this team and the club,” he said. “Then I met the owners, people who have a lot of passion and have ambitious projects that they have struggled to achieve so far.
“They want to create something strong and constructive with me, and we talked about knowing what the financial fair play situation is. They want to invest in Roma, and do it well in order to take Roma to the top.
“But if Napoli has won two championships in three years, and Paris has become the capital of European football, it means that you can’t just get results in Milan or Turin.”
However, the new boss was also keen to point out that those results will not be immediate. “You can’t make plans for the next 10 years in a place like Roma, we have to be faster and be more concrete,” Gasperini continued. “The best result will be qualification to the Champions League.
“Right now, Roma can’t win the Scudetto, but you never know. For me, the goal is to make this team stronger, with more national and international players that we don’t have at the moment. We have to create a strong core and have continuity. That makes teams grow.”
With the knowledge, experience and ability to deliver on those words, there is no doubt that the Giallorossi are in good hands. As he proved at Atalanta, Gian Piero Gasperini is Italian football’s best Coach, and it is up to him to bring the success to AS Roma that their fans crave.
