Collecchio, 21 November 2020 – Coach Fabio Liverani expressed his thoughts ahead of the fixture against Roma on matchday eight in 2020 Serie A, scheduled tomorrow at 15:00 CET at the Stadio Olimpico.

How has the squad prepared for this game?

“We’ve only had a few training sessions together, but this is the same as all the teams who have had players called up for international duty. We arrived on Friday ahead of the match tomorrow. In these last two weeks, however, we worked with those who stayed and they had continuous training. The team are beginning to get to know each other better and this is evident. Our biggest goal is to keep this up until the next break for Christmas because we have seven league games, as well as the Coppa Italia.”

How did well do you think the players did who went away for international duty?

“I think they all did quite well. Gervinho scored a goal in their first win and then returned. Kucka qualified into the Euros and I think that this achievement is very important and incites a lot of enthusiasm. Kurtic is the player who played the most and has been promoted in the Nations League. Osorio played two World Cup qualifiers, winning one. I maintain that playing international football is just as important and useful as playing with your regular club even if, perhaps, you can return a bit more tired.”

What are you expecting from the squad in tomorrow’s match?

“I expect my lads to be aware that there is always much room for improvement and that they are strong players, regardless of the numbers and who plays on the pitch. Today, everyone is reaching a certain level of fitness and self-awareness. We must not forget that the new players, who have only just arrived in the last days of the transfer window, still need time to develop their skills. In the past week, I have seen some excellent and intense training sessions. I believe that we on the right track and, come the Christmas break, I want us to see how well we’ve done in building ourselves up during these last eight matches in the league and Coppa Italia.”

How do you think Roma will play tomorrow?

“At the beginning of this season, in the matches that they have played (excluding the loss against Hellas Verona), Roma are the only unbeaten team. This speaks volumes about their identity. Their Coach is fantastic and the consistent work that they did last year has meant that they have also found a certain continuity this year. They have displayed some quality performances and this experience has made the team grow. It’s going to be a tough game for us, in which we want to see at what point we are in our development, both in terms of personality and football. I think that it will be a great game to watch and the pitch will then tell us at what point we have reached. It’s our eighth game of the season and a meeting where we will then establish, in December, where we are.”