Roma coach Ivan Juric reveals Paulo Dybala won’t be available for a Serie A game against Bologna and insists he’s never considered resigning, although he couldn’t see the team’s ‘soul’ in some ‘dark’ matches.
Juric is on the brink as Roma prepare to host Bologna at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday.
Club owners cancelled a trip to Italy, but according to Gazzetta, they are considering hiring Roberto Mancini during the international break.
During a pre-match press conference on Saturday, a journalist asked Juric if it’s harsh to say that he hasn’t yet found a solution to Roma’s problems.
“It’s not harsh. I agree with you,” the coach replied.
“I see some good signals, but they become something I don’t like after a while.
“Honestly, there are moments when I see my team. I was honest when I said I was satisfied despite the defeat against Hellas Verona,” he continued.
“Against Union, I saw no difference compared to Florence, regardless of the draw. I saw no focus at some moments, I saw too many counter-attacks, and I didn’t see my team. I didn’t see the characteristics of my teams. Against Union, we were often distracted, and we created troubles for ourselves. I saw wrong decisions and things I struggled to accept. I can’t explain such a performance.”
Juric insisted that he was satisfied with performances in some matches, like one against Torino, but was disappointed not to see consistency.
“In Belgium, I didn’t see the soul, the involvement, the focus. I see the run, but I don’t see the soul,” he said.
Juric ‘didn’t see Roma’s soul’ and one thing ‘truly upset’ him
“Tactics are important, but you can’t be competitive if you don’t have that thing. It’s the starting point in football.
“What upsets me as a coach and man is to see that it is possible to do something. I saw it in some games. There were bad matches, too, but this lack of mental consistency has truly upset me.”
Mats Hummels was relegated to the bench again on Thursday despite Evan D’dicka’s unavailability.
“We’ve never argued. Hummels is an excellent professional. I am not going to hide behind ‘technical choice’,” said Juric.
“I needed somebody to do this and that to play well. Cristante did in Belgium. He was good. It’s straightforward. There is nothing behind it.
“For the same reason, I picked Pisilli over Pellegrini. I expected more, especially at the start, but I must now follow my feelings. I can’t hide myself.
Dybala was rested in Belgium mid-week and won’t be available tomorrow.
“Dybala won’t be available because he feels discomfort during the warmup,” Juric explained.
“He wanted to train yesterday, but he couldn’t because of discomfort.
“He’s had many injuries in the past. It’s a classic thing. It’s not an actual injury. He feels discomfort that doesn’t leave him calm. It happened in Belgium; he wanted to train yesterday and started [the training session], but then he felt something.”
Lastly, Juric was asked if he ever considered resigning.
“I think we cleared the air after Florence. I’ve never thought about taking a step back,” he replied.
“I’ve worked hard, and I won’t take a step back. It’s not easy because sometimes you see something, but then it disappears. This is the truth. I’ve seen improvements in some games and darkness in others.”
