Boos after yet another substitution of Malen; Gasperini comes with an explanation

AS Roma supporters were not happy with Donyell Malen's substitution against Torino. The forward scored in the first half, but coach Gian Piero Gasperini once again took him off after an hour.

Whistles came from the away end at the Olympic Stadium in Turin when Malen went off in the 58th minute. AS Roma fans hold the Dutchman in high regard, with the striker leading the Serie A scoring charts on six goals.

Afterwards, Gasperini explained the decision in an interview with DAZN. ''This was our third match in eight days. In that case, you cannot keep letting players play ninety minutes every time. If we manage to give them twenty to thirty minutes of rest, that can make the difference in the long term.''

He added: ''The players behind Malen also have to step up and be ready to be important. That makes the team stronger,'' added the winner of the Serie A leaders.

Even so, Gasperini was full of praise for Malen despite the changes. ''It is wonderful for the fans and for everyone who loves football to see champions like Malen and Dybala working together. They can create something out of nothing.''

He also said: ''It is clear that these two players have an incredible amount of quality individually. But as a duo they also complement each other. They find each other superbly and in that way create goals in many matches,'' said the satisfied AS Roma coach.

Click here to read article