With nine matches remaining in the 2025-2026 Serie A season, Roma may need nearly every single one of those 27 points to overcome and hold off Juventus, Como, and Napoli to land one of Italy’s four Champions League places in next season’s competition. There are a few matches that appear like gimmes at first glance, but Roma still has to face league-leading Inter Milan and the always difficult Atalanta in April, while May will bring fixtures against Fiorentina and Lazio.
While Roma isn’t likely to run the table over the next two months, it’s safe to assume they’ll need to earn at least two-thirds of those 27 points to sneak into the top four. However, if Roma can win the Europa League later this spring, they can end their nearly decade-long Champions League drought all at once. With the club beset by injuries in attack and plagued by another dip in form, that may be a difficult row to hoe.
But none of that context will matter if Roma can’t defeat Bologna tomorrow afternoon at the Stadio Olimpico. Speaking ahead of what he called a “do or die” match, Gasperini touched on a range of topics before Thursday’s fateful fixture—courtesy of the club’s official site.
What are the conditions of Mancini, Kone, and Celik, who trained separately yesterday? Is anyone at risk, or is it just a precaution?
“Both. Maybe Koné. We’ll see today with the last training session. We’ll see.”
How do you imagine the match against Bologna, also in relation to the team’s condition?
“A decisive, do-or-die match. There’s no draw; there must be a winner. There are 90 minutes of guaranteed play, with the possibility of extra time and penalties, just like in European competition. These are different games from the league, but perhaps even more fascinating and unique.”
Could this be the watershed match of the season?
“There have already been so many important matches to continue aiming higher and higher this season. This is a do-or-die game, which gives you the chance to play two more watershed games. I don’t really like the word ‘watershed,’ but it captures the importance of the game: you’re in a competition where you can either keep moving forward or go out, so in that sense it’s definitely more important than a league game.”
Did the AIA’s explanation of the red light incident in Wesley’s Como convince you?
“Looking back at the images, when you feel like you’re being made fun of, you look a little silly. Let’s put it that way, at least we’re not putting anyone in trouble.”
What kind of moment is this for you? Fan sentiment, especially on social media, always fluctuates depending on the results. Do you see social media?
“No, but all the reactions on social media, from fans and insiders, must be accepted, both good and bad. We must focus on working as hard as possible to try to please and achieve results. We have a clear conscience: the team’s commitment is total, and this gives us peace of mind. We all want to achieve the best, but what the team is doing is extraordinary. For me, it’s very positive. I also told the players, not to sugarcoat the pill, but because I truly believe that this group, since the start of the season, has shown great commitment, determination, and dedication, trying to do their best.”
Could a one-off match be more suitable for Roma and Bologna, given your European characteristics?
“I don’t know if it’s more congenial, because these are matches where incidents become even more decisive than in the league, given that the chances of recovery are smaller. This is a return match, so you need to be focused and pay attention to many other aspects, just like when you’re playing in a final. Scoring ability when you have chances and defensive solidity when you’re conceding are very important. In any case, these are two teams that can bring prestige to Italian football, because they’ve always performed well in Europe.”
In the last 40 days, Roma have lost similar matches against aggressive teams like Udinese, Genoa, and Como: what’s the reason?
“In those 40 days, there were a lot of games, and not just those. We faced Napoli, Juventus, Milan, Cagliari, and Cremonese, so you have to consider the entire process. In some games we performed better, in others less so. We had squad difficulties due to suspensions, injuries, and various situations, without these being excuses. Games like the ones in Genoa and Como were also affected by incidents. I don’t think the team had a bad attitude; in that respect, I don’t have much to criticize. We may not have played well in every game, that’s true, but it’s not just a question of aggression. Now there’s another game, and we want to play it to the best of our ability.”
Could El Shaarawy be the right partner for Malen and get a chance from the start?
Just look at our squad. El Shaarawy was out for 40 days without training, completely out of action. He recovered for a couple of weeks, came on for a match, and played on Sunday, even earning a penalty. Right now, by the way, we won’t even have Venturino because he’s not on the UEFA list, so he, Pellegrini, and Zaragoza are up front. We’re moving forward with these options, and everyone is trying to give their all. El Shaarawy, now that he’s back, can be one of the key players.
Could Bologna’s turnover be a factor, especially in view of the 120 minutes?
“It doesn’t scare me. We’re tough, we even had to play for half an hour with ten men, we put in a lot of effort, and that allows us to be ready for Bologna’s pace, too. Sometimes resting doesn’t necessarily mean feeling better. We’ll see tomorrow; it could be a plus for us.”
What’s it like to experience the Olimpico as Roma coach, with the support of the fans?
“It’s always been like this, not just for this match. Maybe there will be something more because it’s a do-or-die game, but the support from the stadium has always been a great asset for the team. At the beginning, we had more difficulties in home games, but then we managed to transform this aspect, finding a more profitable way to improve our home results. It was an initial worry, now we hope to continue like this until the end of the season.”
What kind of Bologna do you expect from this match? And, given the sentiment in Bologna, there’s still a belief that Roma are the favorites. Does that add extra pressure for you?
“Both teams have the same ambition. Bologna has fallen a bit behind in the league, but they’ve recently recovered well. Last year they were playing in the Champions League, so there’s not that much difference. They’re similar teams in terms of quality, as demonstrated by the matches we’ve played. So we know full well that it’s going to be a match like we’ve described it so far.”