Gasperini: The draw was fair and we could have won the match

Gian Piero Gasperini, the head coach of AS Roma, expressed his relative satisfaction with the 1-1 draw against Fenerbahçe in the opening match of the team's UEFA Champions League campaign, confirming that his team faced a tough match in a strong atmosphere in Istanbul. However, they managed to return to Rome with a point from the home ground of a tough opponent.

AS Roma took the lead in the 39th minute through Bryan Cristante, following a fine pass from Donyell Malen, before Fenerbahçe quickly equalised at the start of the second half through Archie Brown.

Gasperini noted that his team was capable of delivering more at certain moments of the match, but they faced an opponent that pressed hard and tried to take advantage of the home ground and the crowd.

The Italian coach praised his players' character and ability to handle the Champions League atmosphere, especially since the match was AS Roma's first in the competition in seven years. He emphasized that the team needs to continue developing and maintain its identity against Europe's top clubs, rather than changing its style due to the strength of the opponents.

Gasperini concluded by emphasizing that the starting point in the Champions League is not bad, especially away from home, pointing out that AS Roma will continue to work towards achieving better results in the upcoming rounds, after proving against Fenerbahçe that they are capable of competing at the highest European level.