In a revealing interview with Corriere dello Sport, Roma’s new head coach Ivan Juric expressed his enthusiasm and optimism about his role at the club, despite the challenging circumstances surrounding his appointment. The Croatian manager, who previously coached Torino, Verona, and Genoa, sees his position at Roma as a significant opportunity after 14 years of coaching experience across various levels of Italian football.
Juric described his experience at Roma as “paradise,” focusing on the positive aspects of his work environment at Trigoria. He acknowledged the external pressures but remains concentrated on his job, which he finds exhilarating. “It happened in a day, everything very quickly. For me, it was a great opportunity after 14 years between Primavera, Serie B, C, and eight seasons in Serie A. Inside here, I found paradise,” Juric stated.
The coach sees tremendous potential for improvement in the team and appreciates the players’ willingness to make sacrifices. “The team has crazy margins for improvement, I see boys willing to sacrifice. The performances are clearly improving, and that’s important,” he noted. Juric expressed confidence that results would eventually change the external perception of the team, saying, “I’m sure that with results, things will change externally as well; in football, it has always been like this.”
Addressing the transition from Daniele De Rossi’s tenure, Juric emphasized his fresh perspective: “I’m not contaminated by negativity. I arrive fresh, and we’re raising the level of play, of pressure; we have more continuity in the game.” He praised the internal relationships at the club and the quality of communication with the sporting director.
Juric also discussed his coaching philosophy and the areas he’s focusing on improving. He mentioned working on clarity in certain moments and achieving calmness, acknowledging that he needs to smooth out some rough edges characteristic of his Dalmatian background. The coach referenced his time with Gian Piero Gasperini as a formative experience, stating, “When I was 27, 28 years old and found myself working with Gasp, I thought I knew everything about football and life, but instead, he taught me what they really are.”
Regarding specific players, Juric had high praise for young talent Niccolò Pisilli: “You fall in love in a short time. He’s young, he needs to grow, but he has a talent that I had never seen before in such young players.” He also expressed confidence in captain Lorenzo Pellegrini, despite recent struggles: “In the last few matches, he had 6-7 goal chances. What does that mean? That he moves like God, that he’s doing well, that he runs a lot, that he has a fantastic spirit and doesn’t hide.”
On Paulo Dybala, Juric emphasized the need to manage his fitness: “The first match was fantastic, also the first half with Athletic. After that, he had some problems. With Mark (Sertori, head of performance) and the entire staff, we’re trying to recover him 100% and for good. We want to avoid relapses and manage him well.”
Juric dismissed concerns about job security, stating, “No, that comes from outside. From the inside, we analyze things well. I know the environment is like this, the pressure is this, but it doesn’t affect me at all. I feel great trust from everyone.” He concluded with a philosophical note: “Without effort, there is no growth.”
