De Rossi Responds to Draw in Opening Match: Poor Pitch Conditions Affected Our Play; Unwilling to Discuss Dybala’s Situation

In the first round of Serie A, Roma drew 0-0 away with Cagliari. After the match, Roma’s head coach, Daniele De Rossi, gave an interview.

De Rossi first commented on the team’s overall performance: “We played better in the second half. In the first half, we struggled to organize effective counterattacks, and I also told the players not to pass the ball around too much near the touchline. The pitch conditions were very poor, very dry, making it difficult to control the ball, so I asked them to try direct passes to avoid being pressed aggressively by Cagliari’s players. We attempted more direct passes but maintained good discipline overall. We did play significantly better in the second half; they had a couple of chances, and we created two or three threats as well. I think our performance was much better in the second half.”

De Rossi also talked about Sule’s performance in the second half: “What he needs to do is break through one-on-one, which is what we ask of him, along with fulfilling basic defensive duties. He always looks energetic, fully committed to the game, and he is still young, doing some things well while occasionally making mistakes. But his attitude is positive, and he is talented. We are always looking for players who have speed and technique. I appreciate him and believe that as his chemistry with his teammates improves and his form gets better, he will become increasingly outstanding.”

Talking about the match again, De Rossi said: “In the first half, we found it hard to advance the ball to the edge of the opponent’s penalty area, and we need to analyze why. Let me emphasize again, although I haven’t coached many matches, I’ve experienced similar situations many times. Dry pitch, a light breeze, very proactive opponents, and a full stadium. If you are too fancy in the opponent’s penalty area, you might be countered brilliantly. Seeing the pitch conditions, I also asked the players to use direct passes in the first half to stretch the opponent’s defense. Sometimes we managed to do this, sometimes we didn’t, but in the second half, we successfully forced them to retreat defensively, allowing our forwards to better utilize their strengths.”

Regarding Dybala: “Would I be worried if Roma didn’t have Dybala? I’ve spoken about this multiple times, and I’ve said I won’t discuss it further. On September 2nd, we’ll talk about the transfer market and the squad. If Roma doesn’t have Dybala and there isn’t a suitable replacement, I would be concerned. Currently, the squad numbers are sufficient. If someone leaves and we don’t bring in new players, I might worry, but if someone leaves and we can fill the gap with players from other positions who are also highly functional and capable, then we can continue moving forward and work hard together with the new additions.”

Finally, De Rossi commented on Dovbyk’s performance: “The first half was tough for him because we had a lot of passes, but they weren’t accurately delivered where we wanted. The passes were a bit light and hard to handle, so they didn’t create the best opportunities for him. I think he performed very well in the second half, controlling many balls and almost scoring. I have a feeling he will score many goals for us.”