Gasperini: ‘I’d hoped for this Roma start, I didn’t expect it, we deserve Real Madrid test’

TURIN, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 14: Gian Piero Gasperini, Manager of AS Roma, looks on during the Serie A match between Torino FC and AS Roma at Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino on September 14, 2026 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)

Gian Piero Gasperini says that he had ‘hoped’ that Roma would start the 2026-27 season in the way that they have done more so than he ‘expected’ it, but says that his players deserve the opportunity to test themselves against Real Madrid and against Inter as one of the leaders of the Serie A table. 

Gasperini reflects on Roma’s perfect Serie A start and looks ahead to Real Madrid

It has been a dream start for the Giallorossi in 2026-27, sitting joint top of the Serie A standings with a 100% win record and the best defensive record in the league with just one goal conceded from their first four matches. 

They are in for a tough run of fixtures now, though, beginning with a huge test against reigning Serie A and Coppa Italia champions Inter, who have also won all four of their first league matches of the 2026-27 campaign. 

After the international break comes another tough match away against the third-placed Como, before a visit from Jose Mourinho and Real Madrid in the Champions League the following Wednesday. 

Gasperini sat down to give his assessment of Roma’s start to the 2026-27 season in an interview with Sky Sport Italia on Thursday. 

Gasperini admitted that: “I’d hoped for a start like this more than I expected it.” 

He continued: “We were convinced that we had a good end to the season and a team that was better off compared to the start of last season. We’ve been together longer, we know each other better, we’ve already aligned on several different things.

“It’s a self-sustaining group. It’s made up of young players but also older players with great value and everyone drags each other through. Everyone brings something different. The young players provide that freshness and the desire to always be ready. The more established players have that quality in the way they train and the example they set for everyone every day.”

Gasperini is delighted with the partnership and understanding that top goalscorer Donyell Malen and Paulo Dybala have developed since the Dutchman’s arrival in January. 

“Their characteristics work well together. Dybala has the ability to read when Malen ‘unmarks’ himself, even when they don’t seem to be looking at each other. The quality that he provides is remarkable. 

“Malen is extraordinary in his ability to turn those moments into goals that seem simple but are actually far from it. It’s a combination that works well.”

Gasperini also wanted to make it clear that qualifying for the Champions League was far from a guarantee at the beginning of last season. 

“It certainly wasn’t a guarantee last year and wasn’t the easiest thing to achieve. The Champions League forces you to overcome certain obstacles, it gives you the opportunity to test yourself against the best teams in Europe. It also helps you to become more aware of who you are as a team.”

The Roma head coach was asked if he now wants to ‘raise the bar’ and aim for the Serie A title this season. 

He replied: “That’s not the way we raise the bar. You don’t raise the bar by setting tougher goals. You raise it by improving standards every day, working on yourself and trying to do better.

“We realise that predictions are made about us all the time and rightly so. People have their dreams, they want the best. And for us, we have to face that reality. 

“The reality is, we can only start talking about potential goals after about 20 games. It makes no sense to set them after four or five matches. Of course we have the confidence now, of course we want to stay up the top of the standings, but these are our only concrete  targets right now.”

And looking ahead to a tough run of games that includes Inter and Real Madrid across Serie A and the Champions League, Gasperini said: “Don’t forget Como in the middle, who we’ll have to play before Real Madrid and is a team that is making huge steps forward. I now consider them to be one of the big names in the league. 

“Of course Inter and Real Madrid are two huge teams at a European level, but I think we deserve the chance to play against Inter as one of the leaders of the table and against Real Madrid in the Champions League. It will be a period where we can measure ourselves and see what we are able to do in the presence of these sorts of teams.”