Gasperini Defends Malen After Red Card in Roma’s Draw at Como

Roma manager Gian Piero Gasperini defended Donyell Malen after the Dutch forward was sent off in the 53rd minute of the 0-0 Serie A draw at Como, arguing that the challenge on Kaiki was not driven by an intention to cause harm.

Gasperini disputes violent-conduct interpretation

Malen’s dismissal at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia left Roma to complete almost 40 minutes with ten players in an initially open contest against Cesc Fabregas’ Como. Gasperini said the forward had been subjected to repeated fouls before the incident and felt that context had been overlooked.

• Gasperini said Malen had been fouled several times before making the tackle on Kaiki.
• He accepted that the leap into the challenge looked poor, but maintained there was no attempt to injure the Como player.
• The Roma coach rejected the suggestion that Malen had acted violently, pointing to the forward being held back while carrying momentum into the incident.

Gasperini was also critical of the use of frozen replay images in judging physical challenges. In his view, isolating a single frame can misrepresent the speed, movement and circumstances of an incident during a match.

“The jump was ugly, but there was no intention to do damage,” he said, describing the red card as an episode that changed the course of the game.

Roma withstand Como pressure

After Malen’s departure, Roma were forced into a more defensive approach against a Como side that pushed heavily for a winner. Gasperini’s team faced sustained late pressure, including a six-man attacking line, but held out for the first goalless draw of the Serie A season.

The coach acknowledged that playing more than half an hour a man short against a strong opponent was frustrating, particularly as Roma had felt capable of taking all three points before the red card.

• Roma played from the 53rd minute onwards with ten men.
• Como pressed hard in the closing stages but could not find a breakthrough.
• The result was Serie A’s first 0-0 draw of the campaign.
• Roma left Lombardy with a point after a demanding defensive finish.

Gasperini said he could not know how the match would have developed with both teams at full strength, but considered the draw acceptable given the circumstances.

Malen suspension to be assessed

Roma will now assess the suspension facing Malen before their next Serie A fixture. Gasperini, meanwhile, wants his side to take the resilience shown at Como into the coming matches.

Although the Giallorossi were unable to convert their confidence into a win, the manager believes the squad’s development remains on the right track after a disciplined response to the setback.