Roma Have Chosen Gasperini—Now They Must Build Accordingly

BOLOGNA, ITALY - APRIL 25: AS Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini arrives at the stadium prior to the Serie A match between Bologna FC 1909 and AS Roma at Renato Dall'Ara Stadium on April 25, 2026 in Bologna, Italy. (Photo by Fabio Rossi/AS Roma via Getty Images) | AS Roma via Getty Images [The following is a guest post from Zach Lowy of Breaking the Lines. For more of Zach’s work, be sure to follow him on social media ] From Antonio Conte to Luciano Spalletti, from Massimiliano Allegri to Carlo Ancelotti, Italy has produced a handful of the best coaches of the past decade.

But while his trophy cabinet may not be as impressive as those of his aforementioned compatriots, Gian Piero Gasperini undoubtedly deserves to be considered among the most accomplished managers in recent years. Gasperini spent the first decade of his coaching career in Juventus’ academy, the same place where he first developed as a player, before getting his first head coaching opportunity at Crotone. However, it wasn’t until he took charge of Genoa in 2006 that he began to lay his foundations in Italian football, spearheading Il Grifone to promotion and engineering their highest finish in 19 years.

More than just good results, he oversaw aesthetically pleasing football, with the likes of Diego Milito and Thiago Motta enjoying success in his 3-4-3 formation before leading Inter to a treble. This stellar form earned Gasperini a move to Inter, where he struggled to rekindle his success, followed by an unimpressive spell at Palermo. However, he got back to basics during his three-year homecoming at Genoa, before eventually deciding to embark on a new chapter in Bergamo.

He took charge of Atalanta in 2016, where he was given the remit of avoiding the drop. After a shaky start that saw them fall into the relegation zone, Gasperini turned around Atalanta’s fortunes and led them to a shock fourth-place finish and a return to European competition after 26 years. But rather than being a one-hit wonder, Atalanta consolidated their place in the upper echelon of Serie A and went from mediocre underachievers to perennial UEFA participants.