Niccolò Pisilli’s rise has become one of Roma’s more telling threads this season: a home-grown midfielder, trusted by Gian Piero Gasperini after a difficult start, now arriving at the Inter fixture with goals, running power and a growing place in the side.
Pisilli turns Roma endurance into a place in Gasperini’s plans
SEO Title: Niccolò Pisilli’s Roma rise under Gasperini ahead of Inter
SEO Description: Niccolò Pisilli has overcome an interrupted summer and limited early minutes to become an influential Roma midfielder, with Inter next on the schedule.
Roma’s 2-0 win over Torino on Monday ended with Pisilli down on the pitch, unable to celebrate properly after cramp took hold. His finish had sealed the result, but the 2004-born midfielder had emptied himself over 11.9 kilometres, the highest total in the match.
Donyell Malen, watching from the bench, shouted for somebody to bring him a chair. Marten de Roon was ready to assist, while Pisilli could only smile through the exhaustion after another display built on work without the ball and decisive movement in the final third.
Quick facts
- Pisilli covered 11.9km against Torino, more than any other player.
- He has scored twice this season: against Fiorentina and Torino.
- His only unused start came against Atalanta; he also featured from the bench against Fiorentina, Lecce and Fenerbahce in the Champions League.
- He missed much of Roma’s summer preparation with a low-grade injury to his left soleus.
- The 21-year-old has made 19 appearances and scored four goals for Italy Under-21.
Gasperini has found value in Pisilli’s capacity to cover both phases. The coach wants his midfielders to compete, recover and arrive in attacking areas with clarity, and the Roma academy product has increasingly met that demand.
The Torino goal followed his earlier contribution in the four-goal victory over Fiorentina. Those two strikes have placed him among the possible choices for the match with Inter, potentially operating closer to Paulo Dybala and Malen if Roma require an extra runner beyond midfield.
It is a significant shift after a summer in which an injury delayed his work and transfer interest emerged from Como and Porto. Gasperini resisted the idea of letting him go, choosing instead to retain Pisilli while sacrificing El Aynaoui from his options.
The coach has compared the midfielder’s physical profile and late runs to Marco Tardelli, while noting that Pisilli does not possess the former Italy international’s pace. The point, however, was the timing of his arrivals in the box, a quality that has already brought goals.
A difficult first half becomes a turning point
Pisilli’s progress has not been linear. During the first half of last season he played only 70 minutes across Roma’s opening 18 matches, and a loan move to Genoa, where Daniele De Rossi would have welcomed him, was discussed.
Gasperini again kept the door closed. His faith was repaid after the winter break, when Pisilli produced two goals and four assists in 15 appearances, moving from a peripheral figure to a central option in the coach’s system.
His first-team story began before Gasperini. José Mourinho handed him his Europa League debut, and on 14 December he scored his first senior Roma goal against Sheriff, celebrating with his hands on his head before tears and an embrace with the Portuguese coach.
De Rossi then selected him from the start against Juventus. It was another important marker for a player who had been in Roma’s academy since the age of eight and whose childhood photographs show him wearing the captain’s armband in Giallorossi colours.
From Casal Palocco to Trigoria
Pisilli grew up in Casal Palocco as a Roma supporter, once looking for autographs from Francesco Totti and De Rossi. He started at the Helios football school before Roma brought him to Trigoria following a series of trials.
He has recalled the emotion of receiving the club’s kit after his mother hid Roma’s letter beneath the tablecloth during lunch. The academy route later included an Under-17 title, with Pisilli scoring the semi-final winner.
Alberto De Rossi promoted him to Primavera from the Under-18 group coached by Francesco Scurto. Pisilli went on to register 20 goals and 10 assists at youth level, the production that brought him to Mourinho’s attention.
He cites Claudio Marchisio as an inspiration and was born on Paolo Rossi’s birthday. Bruno Conti spotted him at a young age, and Pisilli has remained close to the Conti family; he is in a relationship with Bruno’s granddaughter, Anastasia.
Bruno Conti left Roma three months ago after 53 years of service at Trigoria. Pisilli remains a frequent guest at the family home, where he is well regarded.
A grounded player and an Italy possibility
Pisilli’s father, Francesco, played tennis to a good level and appeared in the ATP rankings before becoming a bank executive. His mother, Valentina, is a psychotherapist, while his older brother Mattia plays football in Promozione.
Most of the family support Roma, with Francesco having been a Juventus fan before changing allegiance as his sons developed through the Giallorossi ranks. Tennis remains one of Niccolò’s interests, alongside the sea and television series.
He studies Sport Sciences at university and has spoken of an ambition to work in journalism one day. He keeps a limited social-media presence, preferring reading, and has said he is interested in books about treating other people well.
That restraint has accompanied a player now entering Italy’s wider conversation. Roberto Mancini has included Pisilli among the young names being considered for a national-team rebuild, alongside Roma players Lulli and Ghilardi.
Pisilli is currently further ahead, helped by his Under-21 record and his recent club form. His stated aim remains simple: to improve as a footballer, win trophies if possible, and preserve the humility that carried him from Roma supporter to a midfielder with a serious role in the championship.
