Cagliari’s strong performance against Roma ended in a 1-1 draw, but it was the ongoing speculation about Paulo Dybala that overshadowed the match. After the game, Daniele De Rossi addressed the pressing issue surrounding Dybala’s future, stating that a significant decision is expected this week regarding his potential move to Al-Qadsiah.
“I’ve already talked enough about this situation,” De Rossi said, shaking his head. “On September 2, we will discuss the transfer market and who will be here. You shouldn’t ask me for the timeline. Paulo played well; he was involved in the match. The idea of a Roma without Dybala and without adequate replacements is concerning, especially if anyone else leaves. But if someone does depart and we bring in strong and functional players, we can continue and focus on those who will remain.”
De Rossi’s remarks suggest that if Dybala’s departure leads to new signings, the impact could be less severe. It seems he may already know potential replacements for the Argentine star.
In terms of the match itself, the head coach highlighted improvements in the second half. “We played better in the second half,” he commented. “In the first half, we struggled a bit to break out. I told the players to push forward more because the pitch was very dry. I didn’t want to get Cagliari too fired up. The second half was much better; we created two or three good chances, and they had a couple as well. I saw positive things. I’ve played in many of these types of matches, and in the second half, Cagliari dropped deeper, allowing us to exploit our attackers’ quality.”
De Rossi also praised young talent Soulé, saying, “He is always alive in the game. He makes the right decisions most of the time, although he does make mistakes occasionally — but that’s because he’s young. He has a very positive attitude and great quality; we were looking for a player like him. I liked what I saw, and he will continue to improve his understanding with his teammates. I feel good about all our new signings.”
