Roma assistant coach Tullio Gritti discusses new season: “With Gasperini we’re working well here.”

One of Gian Piero Gasperini’s closest collaborators, Tullio Gritti, discussed the new season with the Giallorossi and looked back on his history with the Roman club.

 Gritti faced his current side on more than one occasion as a footballer between the late 1980s and early 90s. “I scored three goals against the Giallorossi. I scored more goals against Franco Tancredi than any other Serie A goalkeeper.”

A number nine, Gritti featured in the Italian top flight for Brescia, Verona and Torino, but also spent time in the lower leagues: “I’ve always sought out the most comfortable situations on a personal level. If I’d made different choices then I would’ve played a few more games in Serie A, but I’ve got no complaints. It went well as it did.”

“Gasperini? Away from our daily work on the pitch there’s a sense of mutual respect and trust, and there always has been. Nowadays it only takes a glance or a nod for us to understand each other – words aren’t necessary. Working with him is totally enriching. He’s a true visionary – he’s capable of anticipating things which others can’t. When you’re with him you see football and experience everything it has to offer. On that note, do you know what [Thomas] Tuchel said about Atalanta?”

“In 2021, at the Festival dello Sport di Trento, the German – who has only ever coached great teams – told the following story. In order to prepare for his side’s Champions League quarter-final against Atalanta during the pandemic he watched footage of Atalanta for several days. The more videos he watched the more he said the same thing to his coaching staff: “Are they actually doing these things?” The more they studied us, the more they were amazed.”

“This man-on-man marking matter is a bit of a joke, in the sense that you never see our right-back running to the other side of the pitch to follow his opponent. Yes, it’s man-on-man, but only in the same area of the pitch. In any case, the tactical plan is much more complex. Gasp’s strength has always been to keep up-to-date, to move forward with the times and to not remain anchored to his beliefs. I’m still amazed by some of his ideas. He defined not only the history of Atalanta but also of Italian football over the last 20 years. It’s no coincidence that several coaches have copied some of his concepts.”

“Moving around Rome? Coping with getting around such a big place, especially given the traffic in the capital is… (laughs, ed.) Well, we’re getting used to it. It’s been nice so far to go around the city with the boss and feel the warmth of the fans. We’re working well here.”