Luciano Spalletti warned “Roma results will decide the future” ahead of his 400th Serie A match this weekend. “Football is my life.”

The landmark will be reached on Saturday against Atalanta, click here for a match preview.

“I always heard colleagues say that when they leave the field, they can just unplug from the work and let it go. That has always been impossible for me,” Spalletti told the official Roma match program.

Luciano Spalletti warned “Roma results will decide the future” ahead of his 400th Serie A match this weekend. “Football is my life.”

The landmark will be reached on Saturday against Atalanta, click here for a match preview.

“I always heard colleagues say that when they leave the field, they can just unplug from the work and let it go. That has always been impossible for me,” Spalletti told the official Roma match program.

“Work is part of my life, of my home. Football is my life. Reaching 400 does give a sense of well-being. I have grown and improved. If we add in the four years abroad with Zenit, they could be even more. They were wonderful matches, experienced intensely and they all left me with something.

“I am pleased to reach 400 games in Serie A, above all that they were mostly with the same club.”

Spalletti’s top flight career went through Empoli, Sampdoria, Venezia, Udinese and two spells at Roma.

“I started my journey at Empoli, which is my home and where I had been the captain of the team. I knew all the players well and how to behave with them.

“Then in 1998 I went to Sampdoria and from that moment on had to deal with football in general. At the start I paid for the friendly approach I’d always had at Empoli. I had to change things, especially as at Sampdoria and Venezia you get fired rather quickly and then recalled…

“More than change, perhaps, I had to learn. I learned to make sure the rules were respected not because it made the individual happy, but because it was best for the group. That was a very useful lesson that then became useful again in later years.”

The Coach is naturally referring to when he froze out Roma captain Francesco Totti for criticising him in interviews.

“Having a team in your hands means dealing with something of enormous financial worth. I am very proud to have so many people put their faith in me. I have always given my all in the various steps I took.”

Are there any particular games in that run of 400 that Spalletti remembers most fondly?

“There are many, including in Serie B and Serie C. I’d like to mention Udinese-Milan, which allowed me to get into the Champions League for the first time.

“Certainly the derby in 2006 that marked Roma’s 11th consecutive victory. The Coppa Italia Final where we beat Inter 6-2 in 2007. I am always happy to recall the Champions League matches and who knows if I’ll get to experience more of them…

“The future is what we are playing for now. Clearly when we talk about the future, that is stimulating, as that is where we will spend most of our lives.

“As for now, the Roma results are what will decide the future of this team. We have to create our future. We’ll keep going, game after game, and the final table for this season is the most important thing for what awaits us.

“We are playing for our future.”

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