Roma beat Pisa 3-0 as Gasperini praises hat-trick hero Malen and dismisses Ranieri rift
Quick summary
Roma won 3-0 against Pisa, with Donyell Malen scoring a hat-trick. After the match, Gian Piero Gasperini denied any disagreement with Claudio Ranieri and said Roma are focused on securing a Champions League place.
Full article
Attributed to original sourceGian Piero Gasperini addressed the Claudio Ranieri controversy head-on at his post-match press conference, firmly dismissing any suggestion of friction between the two men while insisting Roma are entirely focused on securing a Champions League place in the final six games of the season.
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Ranieri had spoken earlier in the day about having proposed five or six managerial names before Gasperini was appointed, with three ultimately declining, and that when it comes to suggestions, Ranieri follows the orders of the owners, not the coach.
Asked for his reaction, Gasperini was measured but clear.
“I have never had a disagreement with Ranieri, quite the opposite,” he said, with quotes via TuttoMercatoWeb .
“I gave two names for players I wanted, one arrived. I said we needed to work on the attacking department because we had lost several forwards, beyond that everything was fine. There was never any opposition between us. I have always focused on working.”
When pushed further on whether he felt out of step with the club’s direction, Gasperini’s response was characteristically blunt.
“Don’t joke with me. I am on a single track. I have six games to play, starting with a very strong opponent next. We are well positioned and at worst will be a point ahead of them.”
ROME, ITALY – APRIL 10: Donyell Malen of AS Roma celebrates after scoring the team’s third goal during the Serie A match between AS Roma and Pisa SC at Stadio Olimpico on April 10, 2026 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images) Roma 3-0 Pisa – Gasperini: ‘Malen is extraordinary’ He drew a direct parallel with his time at Atalanta, recalling the sensation of overtaking Roma in the table during those years as proof that he understands exactly the challenge ahead.
On Malen, whose hat-trick lit up the Olimpico, Gasperini was effusive, while also refreshingly honest about the fortuitous nature of the signing.
“Malen is extraordinary,” he said. “The key question was whether he could play as a centre-forward, and I got that right. He has the burst of pace, the ball control… we played against him in pre-season and when you see certain players you immediately know when someone is good.”
He added with a smile that he had no idea Malen was available to leave Aston Villa until two days before the deal was done, describing it as good fortune rather than any particular scouting genius on his part.
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What happened
Roma recorded a 3-0 Serie A win over Pisa, driven by a hat-trick from Donyell Malen. In his post-match comments, Gian Piero Gasperini firmly rejected suggestions of tension with Claudio Ranieri despite earlier remarks about the managerial appointment process. Gasperini also highlighted Malen's quality and said he correctly identified the forward's ability to play centrally. The result strengthens Roma's push for a Champions League place while reinforcing Malen's growing importance in attack.
Chance analysis
This matters because it combines a strong on-pitch result with stabilizing messaging from the manager, reducing noise around internal friction. Malen's hat-trick and Gasperini's endorsement of him as a centre-forward are the clearest football signals, pointing to improved attacking upside for Roma in the run-in.
Roma's short-term outlook improves, especially in attack, with Malen emerging as a key scorer in the final stretch.
Upgrade Roma's attacking outlook and treat Malen's role and form as more relevant than the background managerial noise.