Lorenzo Pellegrini thought his time at Roma was over. His contract was running down, he had spent six months on the sidelines through injury, and he admits an exit “seemed almost normal”. Then Gian Piero Gasperini sat him down.
“The boss was crucial because at the start of last season it seemed almost normal that we would go separate ways,” Pellegrini told Goal.com in an interview published on Tuesday.
The midfielder’s deal expired on 30 June 2026 and offers from other clubs arrived over the summer. Roma eventually confirmed a renewal on 8 August, tying their captain to the club for another season.
Gasperini’s intervention
For Pellegrini, the decision came down to a single conversation with his new coach.
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“From my perspective, the first time I sat down with the coach last season, we immediately agreed on what I could do here with him,” he said.
The welcome from the dressing room sealed it.
“I spoke to the club, the coach, the staff and my team-mates last summer and they all said they wanted me here. So it was very natural.”
Pellegrini confirmed there had been interest from elsewhere during the summer. Asked directly whether he had received offers, he said: “Yes, but I was only focusing on getting back to my best.”
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Flexible in midfield
Pellegrini says he is comfortable playing in different areas of midfield under the new coach.
“My quality is playing with the ball at my feet. Whether I’m in midfield or in attacking midfield, the important thing is to find the space you have and exploit it.”
He described the mood at Trigoria as settled.
“The overall atmosphere is calm and relaxed. We come in, we train and we work hard to prepare for our games.”
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Must-win against Slovan
Pellegrini’s return comes at a point where Gasperini needs every option he can get. The Italian has called the Champions League league-phase tie with Slovan Bratislava a must-win if his side are to stand any chance of advancing.
Slovan arrive at the Stadio Olimpico with two defeats from two matches, having lost 6-1 at Paris Saint-Germain and 3-0 at home to Stuttgart. Their head coach, Yaya Touré, has made no secret of his admiration for Gasperini’s work in Italy.
“He has great experience and made an enormous contribution at Atalanta, improving every aspect of their game. The work he did there was incredible,” Touré said on Monday.
The match is played at the Stadio Olimpico at 21:00 local time.
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