Roma’s New Coach: Aim for Champions League and Youth Development; Dybala and Solé Can Partner

Prior to Roma’s Serie A match against Udinese, new Roma coach Yurić gave his first interview. He spoke about his predecessor De Rossi, the team’s goals for the season, and star players like Dybala, Solé, and Zalewski.

Many Roma fans were unhappy with the decision to replace De Rossi, which added extra pressure on Yurić. When talking about De Rossi, Yurić did not hold back on praise: “I think that Roma, especially under Daniel (De Rossi) last year, showed for a period of time that they could compete with anyone and played some very good football. Over these 8-9 months, I saw many elements that I liked, with a lot of ideas that can be borrowed. Now we need to try to incorporate more aggression and possession into our game.”

Yurić further commented: “In my view, the team had a good run under Daniel, and I saw a very aggressive Roma side. We need to reassess this aspect because the players have the ability to do so. Believe me, it requires more than just physical strength, but also positioning and tactical understanding. Is coaching Roma the best opportunity in my career? I’ve been working for 14 years in youth training, Serie C, Serie B, and Serie A, and Roma is undoubtedly the biggest team I’ve coached. There’s no hiding the fact that this is a great opportunity. When the opportunity arose, I didn’t consider contracts or anything else; I wanted to prove that I am capable of leading an excellent team. Look at the squad, I believe we can do well.”

What tasks have the Roma executives given to Yurić? Yurić said: “The bosses were very clear and direct. In my opinion, they are undergoing a transformation, making the team younger, developing young players. The specific goal? Yes, the goal is to qualify for the Champions League and stay there long term.”

Yurić talked about star players: “How will I position Dybala? I watched the previous four games, Paul is very smart, he defends well, and he always finds himself in great positions. We all know his quality, I hope he plays as a right winger so he can attack from the left. Can Dybala and Solé play together with Dovbyk? Of course, they can. I think Dybala and Solé only played together once due to injuries, but there is no doubt they can play together. Zalewski? He is a player I like, he has already started training with the team, he is heading in the right direction, and in my view, this is very important for the entire season.”