Gian Piero Gasperini laments about Roma’s defensive errors and lack of depth after a dramatic 4-3 Europa League defeat to Bologna ended their campaign.
Gian Piero Gasperini admitted that Roma displayed both their best and worst qualities in a dramatic Europa League exit to Bologna, as a 4-3 defeat on the night sealed a 5-4 aggregate elimination.
Roma found themselves chasing the tie throughout, having drawn 1-1 in the first leg before falling 3-1 behind in the return fixture. Despite a spirited comeback with goals from Evan Ndicka, Donyell Malen, and Lorenzo Pellegrini, they were ultimately undone in extra time.
The decisive moment came from Nicolò Cambiaghi, whose composed finish secured victory for Bologna. Gasperini described the contest as fascinating but expressed deep frustration at the costly mistakes that forced his side into a constant battle to recover.
Reflecting on the performance, Gasperini acknowledged that while Roma showed quality for most of the match, their defensive lapses proved decisive. He noted that conceding soft goals undermined an otherwise strong display and made the comeback effort significantly harder.
One of those moments came during Bologna’s opening goal, where Gasperini pointed to hesitation from Gianluca Mancini. The defender appealed for a foul after a shirt tug, allowing Jonathan Rowe to advance unchallenged and create the scoring opportunity.
The defeat continues a worrying run for Roma, who are now without a win in five matches and have slipped from fourth to sixth in the league standings. Gasperini highlighted the increasing pressure and fatigue at this stage of the season but praised his team’s resilience in fighting back from a two-goal deficit.
However, the manager also pointed to a lack of squad depth, particularly in attack. Injuries to key players such as Paulo Dybala, Matías Soulé, Artem Dovbyk, and Evan Ferguson left Roma short of options, limiting Gasperini’s ability to rotate or respond effectively, especially in extra time.
Gasperini concluded by reflecting on the challenges of rebuilding Roma compared to his previous success with Atalanta BC. While he had hoped to replicate the attacking fluidity that brought him European glory, he admitted that injuries and squad limitations have made that difficult, though he remained proud of his players’ effort despite the disappointment.
