New Roma manager Paulo Fonseca presented his first Serie A match in charge of the Giallorossi at a press conference today.
"I'm sure the team has grown and evolved during the preseason. We are at the beginning of this process, but surely the team is ready. I was delighted with Dzeko's stay, I was always convinced of this. I always believed he would stay. The starting eleven for tomorrow against Genoa? We are looking for a central defender who has experience and who will improve the team. I talked to Petrachi and we don't want to take a player just to get one. It is not easy to find a player with these characteristics. I would have preferred to have acquired one before, it's obvious, but I have full confidence in the players I have available. Mancini was used to playing with another system but I am satisfied with his growth. However, tomorrow Fazio and Jesus will start. We are a team that will fight against everyone until the last minute. At the moment, nobody has talked to me about the Rugani-Riccardi exchange. Evidently, it was a negotiation that did not satisfy Juventus. I need to get to know Riccardi better as he was injured in the first part of the preseason. We must not put pressure on him since he is a young player. I am fully satisfied with my squad - all the players are open to my ideas. Schick? He has great competition represented by Dzeko. He is now with us,
he is training and will be called upon. There are players who need more time to adapt. In midfield, I will have a lot of headaches, because I have four great players. Veretout is a little behind physically, so I will have difficulty in choosing him right away. Cristante has had a great pre-season and will start tomorrow. Pellegrini and Diawara arrived later, but they have immediately adapted. They will be fundamental parts to my project. Competition is essential for us. During the year it will be possible to see Florenzi in a more attacking role - we have already tried it in training and the response has been positive. As for Veretout, he will be called upon. If I consider it appropriate, I could deploy him tomorrow. Cetin is an opportunity that presented himself well. He has physical characteristics in which we believe will be useful. He is a player for the future. Zaniolo can become one of the strongest players in the coming years. We have a lot of confidence in his performance. Kluivert? He is a young footballer who needs to better understand the type of game we will play, but he is growing. In our style of play, winning is not enough, we want to play offensively in the midfield. I think our team will play this way in most games."
