AS Roma's Revolution Started with Gian Piero Gasperini

It seems that no other fans of Italian League clubs possess the enthusiasm of AS Roma supporters. The arrival of Coach Gian Piero Gasperini has sparked new hope for "The Wolves" to once again compete consistently in the mid-table, while also ending a 17-year drought of domestic trophies.

Gasperini arrived in the Italian capital, shedding his title as the most successful tactician in Atalanta's history. The modest club from the city of Bergamo in Lombardy, northern Italy, has been elevated by Gasperini to consistently reach the Champions League zone five times in the last seven seasons.

Meanwhile, Roma has fallen out of the elite in the Italian League. Since the 2018-2019 season, the three-time Serie A champions have failed to finish in the top four. Consequently, the iconic, hair-raising Champions League anthem is no longer heard at the Stadio Olimpico.

That grim record has hope of being ended with the conclusion of the 2025-2026 campaign season. The arrival of Gasperini has brought great optimism to the fans of Si Serigala.

The 67-year-old tactician is renowned for his ability to transform an ordinary squad into one of the most entertaining and feared teams in Europe.

Looking at Roma's current lineup, Gasperini has every reason to be calm. There are quality players in every line-up.

Starting with Mike Svilar under the goalpost. The 25-year-old goalkeeper was only surpassed by Napoli's goalkeeper, Alex Meret, in the list of the most clean sheets in Serie A last season. Meret did not concede in 17 matches, while Svilar kept a clean sheet in 16 games.

In the defensive line, the Wolves are represented by Evan Ndicka and Gianluca Mancini. There is also Zeki Celik, who can occupy one of the positions in the preferred three central defenders formation of Gasperini.

For the left-back position, Angelino still has the opportunity to be a mainstay on the left side. Meanwhile, the right-back position is abundant with great talent, including Devyne Rensch, Saud Abdulhamid, and Wesley, who has just been recruited from Flamengo.

Speaking of the attacking sector, Gasperini will certainly rely on the quality of the Argentine duo, Paulo Dybala and Matias Soule. When Lorenzo Pellegrini has recovered from injury, the variety of players filling the attacking midfielder/wing forward positions in Gasperini's typical 3-4-2-1 formation will become even more diverse.

The center forward position has become a competitive arena for Artem Dovbyk and Evan Ferguson, who is on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion. Ferguson has scored four goals in two exhibition matches he has played while wearing the Roma jersey.

A total of four goals were scored by the 20-year-old player against UniPomezia, followed by a single goal for a 1-0 victory over the German team, Kaiserslautern, on Saturday (26/7/2025).

The main obstacle for Gasperini lies in the heart of the game. He is not satisfied with the presence of Manu Kone, Bryan Cristante, Ebrima Darboe, and Niccolo Pisilli. The acquisition of the central midfielder from Morocco, Neil El Aynaoui, is intended to strengthen the options in the midfield.

Although three players have been brought in for three positions that lacked depth last season, Gasperini is not yet considering stepping back from the summer transfer market.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Roma have secured the free transfer of new goalkeeper Devis Vazquez. The goalkeeper, who played for Empoli last season, has agreed to terminate his contract with AC Milan, his parent club. Vazquez will serve as Svilar's backup.

Furthermore, the Tuesday (29/7/2025) edition of Corrierre dello Sport reported that Roma had reached an agreement with Hellas Verona to recruit the young Italian center-back, Daniele Ghilardi.

Several Italian media outlets also reported that Cristante's position at Roma is not secure. Gasperini opened the possibility of exchanging Cristante for Juventus midfielder from the United States, Weston McKennie.

According to Gasperini, the acquisition of new players aims to replace several players who left this summer. A total of 11 players have departed from the Olimpico Stadium to don new jerseys for the 2025-2026 competition campaign.

"This isn't an excuse, because that's the reality, and we can't be hypocritical. Considering the players who have left and the squad shortage, it's not an opinion; it's based on the size of the squad we have," Gasperini said, as quoted by Corriere dello Sport.

Furthermore, Gasperini wants Roma's management to immediately complete its transfer market activities to bring in players according to their needs.

According to several rumors, Si Serigala is approaching Jonathan Rowe (winger/Olympique Marseille), Nikola Krstovic (center forward/Lecce), Andrei Ratiu (wing back/Rayo Vallecano), Nayef Aguerd (center back/West Ham United), and Matt O’Riley (central midfielder/Brighton & Hove Albion).

"I hope our wishes can come true. I know negotiations can take more than a month. The duration of the transfer and the coach's expectations do not always align, but the coach will be pleased when the club can reach an agreement," said Gasperini.

After undergoing two trial matches, Roma still has four trial agendas remaining. These four matches include against Cannes (31/7/2025), Lens (2/8/2025), Aston Villa (7/8/2025), and Everton (9/8/2025). He is optimistic that the Roma squad can improve further in preparation for the opening match of the Italian League against Bologna on August 24, at the Olimpico.

"The team already has an identity, but everything can still be improved, including the players' fitness," he continued.

Fabio Capello, the last manager to lead Roma to the Scudetto title in 2000-2001, believes Roma and Gasperini must be patient to deliver positive results at the start of the 2025-2026 season. He considers Gasperini the ideal manager Roma needs.

"Gasperini was on track to win titles at his previous club. He's a leader who commands respect, so the team must trust him. The results of Roma's transformation under Gasperini won't be seen immediately, but their impact will be evident over the course of the season," Capello told La Gazzetta dello Sport.