The Calcio Comment: Roma are a mess and the Friedkins are making matters worse
Following the inexplicable firing of Daniele De Rossi, now Ivan Juric has also been dismissed, though this time belatedly, after a string of painful losses: a 5-1 against Fiorentina, a 3-2 against Verona, and the recent 3-2 loss at home on Sunday that ultimately sealed the Croatian coach’s fate.
Reportedly, Juric told the team after the game that it would be his last in Roma colours, likely indicating he already knew his fate. He hadn’t spoken before the match, either, which was telling.
And now? It almost seems like a contest to see who can make the worst possible choices. The next coach is still unclear; it seems there’s no hope for Daniele De Rossi to return, despite the fact that the team was partly built with and for him.
For the last 48 hours, Roma’s top brass, led by Dan Friedkin and his son, vice-president Ryan Friedkin, have been conducting a 'casting call' for the new coach. Fans are understandably anxious, but the real issue isn’t just the name of the next manager; it’s the sheer lack of organisation behind every decision the club makes.
Claudio Ranieri (read more here), Max Allegri, Maurizio Sarri, Roberto Mancini, Vincenzo Montella: the list of potential candidates is long, with some names unconfirmed and others confirmed but without follow-up contact.
Fans dream of Allegri or Sarri; Mancini would also be a safe bet. The club has shown interest in Turkey’s national team coach Montella, but the situation is convoluted, and Roma are in complete disarray.
In fact, the club even announced that training would resume Thursday morning, effectively granting a three-day break after the loss to Bologna. This break is forced, as there wouldn’t be a coach available to lead the sessions otherwise.
What Roma are doing right now serves as a textbook example of how a major club's management, like Roma’s, should not operate. The first mistake was firing De Rossi; the next was appointing Juric, a coach unprepared for this level. However, the primary issue remains the club’s failure to properly structure their leadership.
The CEO position has been vacant since Lina Souloukou’s departure on September 22nd and no successor has been appointed for this crucial role. The events unfolding at Roma are almost unbelievable, leaving Giallorossi fans stunned and distressed over the state of their beloved club, especially after dreaming of Daniele De Rossi as their head coach.
Even Florent Ghisolfi, the club’s theoretically most important executive, is increasingly sidelined. The president seems to make all decisions, so what exactly is Ghisolfi’s role?
On the field, players are underperforming. Many were notably poor on Sunday, especially Gianluca Mancini, with Angelino, Zeki Celik, Bryan Cristante, and Artem Dovbyk also disappointing. In short, nothing is working for Roma at the moment.
Juric’s fate had been clear for weeks, yet his replacement was not prepared. Doing worse than this wasn’t easy, and the hope is that, as these words are being written, President Friedkin is shaking hands with the new coach.
But the fear is that there’s a lack of clarity and decisiveness within Roma’s management right now. And for an important club like Roma, that’s a serious issue. Above all, the club needs to respect its fans and its history. That’s what matters most.