GIALLOROSSI YORKSHIRE BLOG
Henrikh Mkhitaryan drew the headlines on Sunday as the winger scored on his Roma debut, the third goal in a 4-2 win over Sassuolo.
Voted man of the match on the club's Twitter account, despite Lorenzo Pellegrini claiming the plaudits in Giallorossi Yorkshire's review, Mkhitaryan joins an elite list of players to have found the net in their first game for the club - with legends such as Rodolfo Volk, Roberto Pruzzo and Pedro Manfredini all having done the same in the 20th Century. More recently, several players have also started on the front foot with a debut goal for Roma. Here are the last 10 to do so. Henrikh Mkhitaryan v Sassuolo (15/9/19)
Mkhitaryan made a positive first impression to his new home crowd on Sunday, becoming the 58th player to score on their Roma debut. The experienced Armenian announced himself to Serie A by firing in a left-footed shot after being teed up by a perfectly-timed through ball from Lorenzo Pellegrini. As a big name signing (not just in terms of spelling...), the 30-year-old lived up to the expectations early on, and now must continue in the same vein.
Aleksandar Kolarov v Torino (20/8/18)
Playing behind 'Micki' on the left flank was veteran full-back Kolarov, who had been the last player to score on their first Roma appearance. Kolarov's signing was met with a mixed reception, with some diehard fans unhappy about his past association with Lazio. What better way to endear himself to the skeptical supporters by scoring the winning goal on the first day of the season? And it wasn't just any goal - it was a genius free kick struck under the wall, that caught everybody by surprise and gave Roma the win.
Stephan El Shaarawy v Frosinone (30/1/16)
To continue the theme of left-sided players scoring on their debuts, we go back to 2016 to reminisce about El Shaarawy's scorpion flick against Frosinone. Signed on loan from Milan that winter after a dismal spell at Monaco, the winger flashed back into life upon his Serie A return, kickstarting a prolific scoring run with a debut goal - using a technique that is still scarcely believable nearly four years on.
Adem Ljajic v Verona (1/9/13)
El Shaarawy wasn't the only one to open his account in spectacular fashion. Just four days after joining from Fiorentina, the Serbian hit the target from outside the box after being set up by Miralem Pjanic. It wasn't exactly a sign of things to come from Ljajic, who suffered from inconsistency during his two years in the capital.
Nico Lopez v Catania (26/8/12)
Looking back, this goal paints a picture of a very different Roma side. American midfielder Michael Bradley clipped a great aerial ball through to January signing Lopez, who, making his first team bow under Zdenek Zeman, controlled it, flicked it over the defender and connected with a sweet left-footed volley. It was the only goal the Uruguayan scored in his seven Roma appearances.
Erik Lamela v Palermo (23/10/11)
Lopez and Lamela both joined from South American clubs, as Roma looked to provide them with a pathway into European football. Lamela's signing was obviously the more highly anticipated due to the greater amount of money spent on him, but he had to wait until October for his debut after joining that summer. He made the most of it, though, curling in a shot from out wide in the box just eight minutes into his first game.
Filippo Scardina v CSKA Sofia (16/12/09) The last homegrown Roma academy graduate to mark his debut with a goal, Scardina was given an opportunity by Claudio Ranieri in the last game of the Europa League group stages, coming on with the score at 2-0 in the 81st minute. Eight minutes later, he had made it 3-0. However, he never played for the club again, and has since drifted around Serie C. Shabani Nonda v Reggina (28/8/05) Signed from Monaco in 2005, the African striker came on as a substitute on the opening day of the new season, and scored late in stoppage time in a 3-0 win - in Luciano Spalletti's first game in charge. He would only add three more goals for the club, before being loaned to Blackburn Rovers the following season. John Carew v Brescia (14/9/03) Two players made a scoring debut in the first home game of Fabio Capello's final season in charge of Roma. In the 88th minute, Carew scored the last goal of the game from the penalty spot, with regular penalty taker Francesco Totti having been brought off and thus denied a hat-trick. Carew scored eight goals in 29 appearances during his loan from Valencia, but was not signed permanently at the end of the year. Cristian Chivu v Brescia (14/9/03)
The second name on the scoresheet in that 5-0 rout had been Romanian defender Chivu, who started in defence having signed from Ajax. He doubled Roma's lead with a perfectly placed free kick struck with his stronger left foot to mark his first game in Italian football with a goal. Chivu was certainly not known for goalscoring prowess by the end of his four seasons with Roma, though, managing just five more goals in 122 more appearances.
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Roma earned their first win of the season in emphatic fashion on Sunday, hammering Sassuolo 4-2 at Stadio Olimpico.
After a week off due to the international break, some rustiness would have been expected, but Roma blasted away any signs of that by scoring four goals within the first 35 minutes. After Roma were awarded a penalty, which was then overturned by VAR, Bryan Cristante headed in Lorenzo Pellegrini's corner to make it 1-0. Edin Dzeko doubled the lead by tapping home Aleksandar Kolarov's delightful low cross, before Pellegrini completed a hat-trick of assists by setting up debutant Henrikh Mkhitaryan and winger Justin Kluivert. Domenico Berardi hit back with a brace in the second half, including a perfectly-placed free kick, but Roma held on for all three points. Here are the major talking points from the game. Pellegrini pivotal in preferred role There aren't enough words to describe how sensational Lorenzo Pellegrini was against his former side. After starting the season as a central midfielder, the Roma academy graduate was pushed forward into his preferred number 10 role, and showed exactly why he needs to play there. His passing was exquisite, with none of his three assists being easy. Such creativity has not been seen from a Roma attacking midfielder since Francesco Totti retired, and with the club legend a big fan of Pellegrini, there is no reason why the 23-year-old can't emulate at least some of what his former captain achieved. Last season it was Nicolo Zaniolo who earned the Totti comparisons, but Pellegrini is much closer to Er Pupone in terms of ability and playing style. It is abundantly clear now that Pellegrini must be a starter every week, and always as a trequartista if possible. If there was one downside to his game, it was that he took too many risks with dangerous sliding challenges - something that has also been said of Zaniolo when he has played. But that very criticism can also be levelled as a compliment, as it showed his hunger and desire to make an impact. He was over the pitch like a rash, covering every blade of grass. Pellegrini can be the engine Roma have been lacking in midfield since Radja Nainggolan left in 2018. Right application of Kluivert Another player to thrive after a position change was Justin Kluivert. He had started Roma's first two games of the season on the left wing, but was ineffective and made poor decisions. With Cengiz Under out injured, though, Paulo Fonseca was forced to push the Dutchman over to the right wing, and it was a blessing in disguise. Kluivert is a completely different player when he plays on the right wing. He can charge down the channel and create danger with a more direct approach. His use there may not fit in with Fonseca's preference for inverted wingers, but sometimes exceptions have to be made. All of Kluivert's best performances for Roma have come on the right wing. It was from that position that he set up Dzeko with a cross on his debut against Torino last season, for Roma's first goal of 2018-19. It was from the right that he recorded two more assists against Fiorentina in April, a game that was the first of a 12-game unbeaten run that is still going for Roma. On Sunday, he started well by winning the (non) penalty, and his finish showed the kind of composure he has rarely displayed when playing on the left. Thus, Kluivert is another case of a player who needs to be used in a specific role to succeed. Positive debuts Roma played a fast-flowing possession game, and key to its success were two new signings. Jordan Veretout and Mkhitaryan were brought in for their first starts, and both made an immediate impact. Veretout provided balance in the midfield - surely a benefit given that he can allow Pellegrini to be unleashed further up the pitch. As for Mkhitaryan, his quality was clear to see. The Armenian thrives on getting the ball and moving it on quickly to teammates, meaning he can be the glue to Roma's attacking quartet. His left-footed finish for his goal was sublime. In an interview before Armenia played Bosnia-Herzegovina last week, Dzeko had vowed to help Mkhitaryan adapt to Italian football, a difficult transition for many. But from first viewings, the on-loan Arsenal man may not need Dzeko's help at all. He settled in straight away and proved he has a big part to play this season. Drop off in intensity worrying In many ways, Roma should be disappointed they only scored four. There were numerous chances to extend the lead shortly after the break, with Dzeko smashing a header against the crossbar and Pellegrini skimming the post, the closest he came to scoring in a performance that more than deserved a goal. Beyond the hour mark, though, Roma took their foot of the gas a little too much. With a busy schedule coming up, it's easy to see why they would afford themselves a little rest. However, they dropped down one or two gears too many, which nearly allowed Sassuolo a way back into the game. The common belief is that the noble thing to do when taking such a big lead is to let up and show respect to the opponents, but after all the questions raised from the opening two games, how good it would have been if Roma had sent out an emphatic statement by scoring six or seven. Instead, some of those questions are still lingering. Who has Fonseca's faith? One way Roma could have kept the pace higher would have been to bring on a sub earlier - someone with a point to prove. It could have been a great opportunity for Mirko Antonucci, for example. The youngster could have left on loan this summer, but Fonseca appears to believe in him, so he stayed. If that really is the case though, then why not bring him on when there was still a three-goal advantage an hour in? It remains to be seen if Antonucci can really do it at the top level, with his lack of physicality a major concern. But if he can't get a run out when the lead is so healthy, then when can he? It would have been an ample opportunity for him to prove himself. Instead, Javier Pastore came on - to a chorus of boos - with six minutes to go, and let himself down by missing an easy headed chance. With Pellegrini and Zaniolo seemingly the main options in attacking midfield now, Antonucci and Pastore may find their chances very limited. Player Ratings: Lopez 6; Florenzi 6; Mancini 6; Fazio 7; Kolarov 8; Veretout 7; Cristante 7; Kluivert 8; Pellegrini 9; Mkhitaryan 8; Dzeko 8 Subs: Spinazzola 6; Zaniolo 6; Pastore 3 Coach: Fonseca 7 Man of the Match: Pellegrini
A first win of the season will be the target as Roma host Sassuolo upon their return from the international break on Sunday.
Before the players headed off with their countries, Paulo Fonseca led his side to two successive draws in Serie A - with Genoa and Lazio preventing the coach from gaining his first win with Roma. Since then, Roma had a final flourish in the transfer market, bringing in Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Nikola Kalinic on deadline day. The former could play a key role if called up for his debut, given that Diego Perotti and Cengiz Under are injured, and Justin Kluivert is struggling for form. Fellow new arrival Chris Smalling had potentially been in line for a club debut after being an unused substitute against Lazio, but a minor groin injury picked up in training through the week has delayed his first appearance for his new side. The Englishman has already become the fifth player to be consigned to the treatment tables this season - after Perotti, Under, Davide Zappacosta and Leonardo Spinazzola. The latter, signed from Juventus this summer, is ready to return having been called back up to the squad, but is unlikely to start given the positive opening to the season for fellow left-back Aleksandar Kolarov. After scoring against former side Lazio in the Derby Della Capitale, the Serbian captained his country in two games during the international break, providing an assist in their win over Luxembourg. Kolarov is one of several players to have performed well over the international break, who will be hoping to transmit their form over to club level. Mkhitaryan scored twice as his country won 4-2 against Bosnia-Herzegovina, for whom Roma talisman Edin Dzeko also found the back of the net. A few days earlier, Mkhitaryan had come up against his new clubmates Alessandro Florenzi and Lorenzo Pellegrini in a clash with Italy, in which the latter scored his first international goal.
So far, Fonseca has deployed Pellegrini in a deeper role than the one he usually plays for the national team, but that could change on Sunday. Summer signings Jordan Veretout and Amadou Diawara are pushing for starting berths in the double midfield pivot, which would allow Pellegrini to slot into his preferred trequartista role, shifting Nicolo Zaniolo - who scored his first Roma goal against the same opponents last season - out to the wing to deputise for the sidelined Under.
Pellegrini will not be the only player to be coming up against his former club. Striker Gregoire Defrel returned to the Mapei Stadium this summer after a disappointing two years with Roma. However, he did manage to score against his parent club when on loan at Sampdoria last season, so the Giallorossi will be eager to avoid a similar fate, as they push for a first three points of the year. It's a slightly earlier kick-off than usual, with the game scheduled to start at 5pm UK time. It will be shown live on Premier Sports 1.
Roma Women's second season gets underway on Sunday as AC Milan visit Stadio Tre Fontane.
After finishing fourth in their debut campaign, Roma are looking to close the gap with the sides that finished above them - one of whom was Milan - in order to mount a serious challenge towards the top end of the table. To help with the task, a number of new faces have been brought into the club, with Brazilian forward Andressa Alves, Ada Hegerberg's sister Andrine and Italy star Manuela Giugliano the key arrivals to get fans excited. However, in the most recent pre-season outing, a comeback draw against PSG before a penalty shootout defeat, it was two players from last season who scored the crucial goals - with wingers Annamaria Serturini and Agnese Bonfantini eager to prove they should still be given a starting berth by Betty Bavagnoli. Like Roma, Milan Women have undergone several changes this summer - with Roma's acquisition of midfielder Giugliano a major disappointment for the Rossonere, and goalkeeper Camelia Ceaser also making the same switch. Coach Carolina Morace was replaced by former striker Maurizio Ganz as part of a reshuffle, while experienced forward Daniela Sabatino has left for Sassuolo. However, last year's top scorer and captain Valentina Giacinti remains in the fold, and will be one player Roma's backline must be wary of. That Giallorosse defence has also seen a few changes of personnel over the last few months, with Emma Lipman leaving and Kaja Erzen and Tecla Pettenuzzo being brought in. Bavagnoli has numerous options to pick from, so it may take a few weeks before her best back four is known. One guaranteed starter, though, will be captain Elisa Bartoli, who was an inspiration in her first season for her childhood club and will be accepting no less than the same from herself second time around. While the defence settles in, Roma will be relying on their attacking firepower, with Andressa and fellow new signings Amalie Thestrup and Lindsey Thomas complimenting what was already there with the likes of Serturini and Bonfantini. Making the chances for them, Giugliano will add creativity from midfield, and will be hoping for a positive debut against her former teammates, as Roma look to make a statement of intent with a winning start in front of their home crowd. The game kicks off at 11:30am UK time on Sunday, and will be free to view via the @ASRomaFemminile Twitter account.
Roma get their Europa League campaign underway next week, with the club dreaming of winning its first European trophy since 1961.
After a disappointing 2018-19 season, Roma are returning to Europe's secondary competition for the first time since 2016-17, when they reached the Round of 16. Midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan has already confirmed that the target is to surpass that by reaching the final - which would be Roma's first European final since 1991, when Inter Milan beat them over two legs in the same competition, when it was known as the UEFA Cup. Fellow new arrival Chris Smalling is also confident his new team can challenge for the trophy. Before Roma can think of that, though, there is a group stage to navigate, with the draw pitting them against Borussia Monchengladbach, Istanbul Basaksehir and Wolfsberger. Here is everything you need to know about the three opponents. Borussia Monchengladbach Like Roma, Borussia Monchengladbach are returning to the Europa League for the first time since 2016-17, a season in which the Germans dropped down into the competition after coming third in their Champions League group. Unlike Roma, they have not been involved in the Champions League since, coming ninth, ninth and fifth in the last three seasons. They qualified directly to the group stages thanks to that fifth-placed finish last season, edging out Wolfsburg (not to be confused with the Austrian team also drawn in Roma's group) on goal difference. Over the summer, they lost one of their most famous names, Thorgan Hazard - brother of Belgium captain Eden Hazard - to Borussia Dortmund, while midfielder Mickael Cuisance was poached by Bayern Munich. However, they have kept hold of top scorer Alassane Plea, while reinforcing with the signings of strikers Breel Embolo from Schalke and Marcus Thuram (son of former Juventus man Lilian Thuram) from Guingamp. Captained by forward Lars Stindl, whose understudy is Swiss goalkeeper Yann Sommer, Monchengladbach have a fair amount of quality in their squad. However, this year they will be guided by a new manager, as Marco Rose has, like defender Stefan Lainer, moved from Red Bull Salzburg. The 42-year-old will be wanting to make an impression in his first job in a major European league, and is no stranger to this competition, having taken Salzburg to the semi-finals in his first campaign with them, 2017-18. A similar run would help him make a positive start at his new club - and history suggests it would not be impossible. Monchengladbach are the only team in the group to have won this competition before, doing so on two occasions - in 1974 and 1979. They have also reached the European Cup final once, losing to Liverpool at the Stadio Olimpico in 1977 - seven years before the English side defeated Roma in another final at the same venue. Istanbul Basaksehir The third seed for Roma's group was a name that will have been familiar to most fans - mainly because it was the club from whom the Giallorossi signed Cengiz Under two years ago. The Turkish winger spent a single season with the club, helping to fire them to a second place finish - the highest they had ever come in their relatively short existence - before trading one capital for another. Even since Cengiz came to Roma, though, Basaksehir have continued to establish themselves as major challengers in the Super Lig, replicating that runners-up finish last season - above the likes of Besiktas and Fenerbahce. In doing so, they booked their place in the Champions League third qualifying round, but were knocked out over two legs by Greek giants Olympiacos, without scoring a goal. As a result, they fell directly into the Europa League group stages. Managed by former Inter midfielder Okan Buruk, who took charge this summer, Basaksehir's squad list features more than enough stars of yesterday to make them an intriguing rival. Their most recent signing was Martin Skrtel, with the former Liverpool defender returning to Turkey, where he had spent the past three years with Fenerbahce. His ill-fated spell in Italy with Atalanta had lasted less than two months before he was released and replaced by ex-Roma loanee Simon Kjaer. Skrtel, 34, joins former Arsenal and Manchester City defender Gael Clichy (34), one-time Juventus forward Eljero Elia (32) and ex-Newcastle and Chelsea striker Demba Ba (34) among the Turkish club's ranks. This summer, they also brought in former Man City and AC Milan forward Robinho, now 35, and Fenerbahce veteran Mehmet Topal, while Gokhan Inler, once of Napoli, is entering his third season with the club. Former Fulham and Birmingham winger Kerim Frei will be a familiar face to English fans, while another name to keep an eye on could be Arda Turan, who is now into the third season of a loan from Barcelona. The Turkish number 10 failed to score at all last season, missing a large part of the campaign through suspension, but should never be underestimated. While many of these names may have struck fear into opponents five or 10 years ago, most are past their prime now - but even so, they could pose a serious challenge in the group. Roma will soon find out how dangerous they are, as they host them on 19th September in their first game of the competition. Wolfsberger Completing the lineup for Group J are Austrian minnows Wolfsberger, upon whom expectations will be limited. Only a top flight club since 2012, they are competing in the Europa League group stages for the first time, with their only previous taste of the tournament being in 2015-16. That year, after beating Belarusian side Shakhtyor Soligorsk, they were eliminated by German giants Borussia Dortmund in the third qualifying round. Wolfsberger's squad is mainly comprised of Austrian nationals, with German left-back Lukas Schmitz (who used to play for Schalke and Werder Bremen), Israeli forward Shon Weissman (who has started well, scoring four goals in a single game against Mattersburg on only his fourth appearance for the club), Serbian defender Nemanja Rnic, Kosovan midfielder Bajram Syla and Ivorian midfielder Anderson Niangbo the only foreigners in the roster. They are the fourth team in the group to be led by a new coach this season, with Gerhard Struber taking the reins after two years with FC Leifering, the second division side from whom Niangbo has joined on loan. Leifering are a feeder club for RB Salzburg, whom Struber worked for as a youth coach and assistant manager for several years (although never alongside Monchengladbach counterpart Rose, who worked with different age groups during the same time period). Now, the 42-year-old will be eager to prove himself on his own. Roma cannot afford to be complacent, but the games could be high-scoring affairs. Last season, Wolfsberger came third in the Austrian Bundesliga after the league was split in half for the championship and relegation rounds, but their goal difference was still zero. The 47 goals they conceded was only four less than bottom side Wacker Innsbruck; while this season, they have already been on the receiving end of a 5-2 defeat to Salzburg. Struber has work to do, then, to ensure his side do not become the whipping boys in a group where the three other sides all have realistic chances of qualifying for the knockout stages.
Roma had a busy summer transfer window, bringing in 10 new players to bolster the squad for incoming coach Paulo Fonseca.
As a result, it was a naturally busy summer for journalists, who sought to find out what Roma's next moves would be. All the reports had to start somewhere, so here is an attempt to trace who broke the initial news of each of the signings Gianluca Petrachi made. Leonardo Spinazzola The first player to arrive this summer was Spinazzola, as part of a swap deal that sent academy graduate Luca Pellegrini to Juventus. Although it was near the start of the mercato, this proposal seemed to materialise very quickly. The two clubs were linked with several player exchanges over the summer, with Roma reportedly interested in Gonzalo Higuain and Mattia Perin, and Juventus pursuing Nicolo Zaniolo as well. When Juventus made their first attempts for the Italian midfielder, Pagine Romaniste's Davide Moresco appeared to be the first to suggest that Roma had asked for Spinazzola as well as Higuain as part of the swap (report dated 21st June). Although Zaniolo and Higuain stayed put at their respective clubs, the seeds were planted for Spinazzola. La Stampa claimed that the entire swap between the five players was on, in a report dated 26th June, but obviously only two players ended up making the moves. Various sources reacted two days later, when it emerged that a meeting had taken place to conclude the Spinazzola-Pellegrini swap. Sky Sport's Fabrizio Romano revealed in the early afternoon that the two clubs were at work over the swap of the duo, with Il Tempo's Filippo Biafora confirming shortly after that the deal would be weighted such that Juventus earned €8m. Gazzetta Dello Sport were the next to react, revealing Spinazzola's price as €29m - €0.5m away from the value that was confirmed when the deal was made official two days later. Amadou Diawara Also arriving towards the start of the window was Diawara, in another swap, seeing Kostas Manolas move to Napoli. It was known for some time that Manolas was likely to leave, but Napoli emerged as a surprise destination at first. When it became clear that they weren't willing to pay the defender's €36m release clause, talk of players being included in the deal began. Sky Sport were the first to suggest that Diawara had been offered to Roma on 14th June, even though they admitted the Giallorossi would have preferred Dries Mertens. Consequently, Corriere Dello Sport said the following day that the channel was now open for Roma to take Diawara - while also reporting on Roma's request for the Belgian striker. Il Messaggero revealed the structure of the operation on 19th June. With Roma approaching a financial deadline, the paper confirmed that Manolas' move would be posted on the present year's balance, but the club would wait until 1st July to confirm Diawara's signing. The green light came when, on 25th June, Di Marzio said that the deal would be completed that week, with Romano giving his famous "Here we go!" tweet the next day to declare the operation as finalised. There appeared to be a last-minute glitch over personal terms, with RomaPress denying Di Marzio's suggestion that the contract had been agreed on 27th June - although they admitted there were not likely to be many problems in reaching a conclusion. Biafora revealed on the 28th that the negotiations were finally done, with the player agreeing a five-year contract and the clubs agreeing a €19m fee. Two days later, Di Marzio corrected him, announcing the price as €21m, which was confirmed in Roma's official announcement the next day. Pau Lopez It was clear for quite some time that Roma needed a new goalkeeper, with Robin Olsen being dropped before the end of the season. As mentioned above, Perin was one of the options listed, but Roma eventually chose Pau Lopez from Real Betis. La Repubblica revealed that Petrachi was considering the Spaniard on 13th June, shortly before Di Marzio claimed he was the first name on Fonseca's list, even if the €25m valuation was too high. 48 hours later, Di Marzio dealt fans a blow the same day by revealing that the initial €20m offer had been rejected. Ultimately, Roma reached an agreement with Betis by removing their right to 50% of the sell-on fee of Antonio Sanabria - with Di Marzio again being the one to reveal their plans to do this, on 18th June. In Spain, El Confidencial were confident that an agreement had been reached on 2nd July, worth €18m plus the Sanabria clause. Three days later, Romano proclaimed that the documents would be exchanged within 24 hours and Di Marzio revealed the medical was scheduled for the 8th. He was confirmed the next day - although no-one got the actual fee, €23.5m, correct. Gianluca Mancini Possibly the longest-running link of the 10 players to join was defender Mancini. The Italian had been a target for Petrachi's predecessor Monchi in January, after Tuttomercatoweb claimed on 5th November that Roma (and Inter) had gone to scout him in Atalanta's clash with Bologna the previous day. The idea of Manolas leaving was already likely in January, and Gazzetta said on the 3rd of the new year that Mancini was the plan as his replacement, with the price likely to be €25m. Mancini's agent did not deny Roma's interest in an interview with the paper the next day, but detailed the defender's plan to stay in Bergamo until the end of the season. Mancini eventually signed on loan with an obligation to buy, and the first to understand this structure was Il Giorno, who revealed that Roma would deploy a Cristante-style operation to sign the player on a €5m loan and €20m obligation as far back as 6th January. However, the picture soon changed, with Monchi walking away from Roma at a turbulent time in March. He was replaced on an interim basis by Ricky Massara, before Petrachi officially took over at the start of July - although the former Torino man appears to have been having a say in Roma's business a while before that. Il Giorno revived the reports on 23rd March, becoming the first to reveal that Mancini was still in Roma's thoughts despite Monchi's exit, with Atalanta ready to sell and the capital club the most likely buyer. With Manolas' departure confirmed on 30th June, Biafora said that Mancini was one of two names being considered as a replacement, with Betis' Marc Bartra the other. On 5th July, Tuttomercatoweb revealed the player had agreed a contract until 2024 on a €2m salary - while delivering the all-important development that a fee of €25m had been agreed with the club. TMW then said Fonseca had given his approval to the move on the 9th as the final hurdles approached, as La Stampa's Matteo De Santis and Il Tempo's Alessandro Austini agreeing that he would be the next arrival. De Santis confirmed it would be a loan with an obligation to buy, totaling €26m - although ReteSport suggested the agreement was for a two-year free loan, with a payment of €21m plus €4m in bonuses. Many sources expected the deal to be closed within a matter of hours, but it actually took a little longer - enough time for De Santis to reveal that the figures would be a €2m loan, plus an obligational payment of €19m, and a further €5m in add-ons. When the deal was made official the next day, on the 17th, Roma confirmed they had got a better deal - with the price comprising a €2m loan, a payment of €13m, and an additional €8m. Jordan Veretout
Arriving shortly after Mancini was the subject of another protracted transfer saga, that of Jordan Veretout. The French midfielder is another player whose links with Roma can be traced back to the Monchi days, with Corriere Della Sera claiming him as a target for last summer all the way back in April 2018, although his move obviously did not occur that year. Monchi's interim replacement Massara was also said to want him, via a ForzaRoma.info report in April this year. By the summer, it became clear that the Fiorentina man was going to be a target, with Di Marzio revealing on 9th June that Fonseca was keen on him and contacts had already been made. The next day, Calciomercato claimed he was the most likely candidate to replace departing legend Daniele De Rossi. Veretout was in high demand though, with Napoli and AC Milan also heavily linked. However, by the 17th June, Corriere Dello Sport were confident that Roma were ahead of the latter at least, while Tuttomercatoweb went one step further four days later by revealing that Roma were in pole position. A number of meetings took place with his agent, with the first coming on Monday 24th June - revealed three days earlier by Gazzetta Dello Sport's Nicolo Schira. On 2nd July, Sky confirmed that the next meeting was to be on the next day. It must have had some impact on the player, as Fiorentina director Daniele Prade revealed on the 4th that Veretout wanted to leave. Eventually, Milan and Napoli dropped away, with the key being revealed by Di Marzio on 10th July - the fact that Roma had surpassed them with a cash only offer. The decisive final meeting came on 16th July, revealed the day before by Di Marzio, with Biafora confirming that after three hours of face-to-face, an agreement had been reached for a five-year contract. But it was Di Marzio who had beaten him to the announcement by six minutes, revealing he would cost €17m plus €2m in bonuses - missing that the deal would actually be a €1m loan and €16m obligation to buy, plus the bonus €2m. Distance still remained with Fiorentina, warned Calciomercato the next day, but Biafora and Di Marzio were separated by a matter of seconds again on the 18th when they confirmed that the total agreement had been reached, and that he could undergo his medical the next day. In the end, he did arrive on the 19th, but took his medical the day after. Mert Cetin
The least famous name to be brought in this summer, and therefore surely one of the more difficult to get information on. Biafora got there first on 15th August, also being able to confirm - correctly - that one more centre-back could arrive after Cetin. The understanding of his €3m price tag came from his native Turkey, where Fanatik editor Yakup Cinar was able to confirm the details shortly after Biafora's announcement. Davide Zappacosta It was clear for some time that Roma needed a new right-back, with many outlets reporting interest in Elseid Hysaj. The rumours of Zappacosta being an alternative actually originated from Calciomercato on 4th June, although they didn't think Chelsea would let him go. Il Messaggero were the first to understand that he was not an alternative to Hysaj, but the more likely arrival, on 7th August. With Chelsea boss Frank Lampard confirming he would have to find a solution eight days after, a meeting materialised, according to Tuttomercatoweb, on 18th August, with the hypothesis becoming ever stronger. By the 20th, Di Marzio could confirm that an agreement had been met, and he would take his medical the day after, when his move was made official. Chris Smalling The speed at which Smalling's move to Roma was arranged is well-documented, with the defender joining the club on 30th August. One day earlier, Austini had revealed that the Englishman could be the 'Mister X' he said Roma were considering as an alternative to Dejan Lovren or Daniele Rugani. Things escalated quickly from there, with Romano confirming within the next 10 minutes that an agreement for a dry loan worth €3m had been met. Nikola Kalinic
Roma completed two senior signings on deadline day, both of which happened fairly quickly. The first to be announced was striker Kalinic, with there being whispers for a few weeks that he would be the replacement if Patrik Schick left. RB Leipzig ultimately cut it very fine to sign Schick, but once they did, Roma could unveil Kalinic. The first to suggest Roma's consideration of a loan for Kalinic was Sky Sport, on 22nd August, reporting that contacts with his entourage were advanced and Fonseca had given the green light to his potential signing, on loan with an option to buy. The next update came on 30th August, when Biafora revealed that Kalinic also had an offer from Qatar, but was waiting for Roma. Calciomercato.com said the details had been agreed with Atletico for a loan and €10m option to buy - €1m shy of the actual value that was to be confirmed two days later. The same site were the ones to reveal that he would fly in on 1st August to take his medical the next day. Henrikh Mkhitaryan
In one of the most exciting and surprising moves of the window, Roma completed their summer business with the last-minute acqusition of Mkhitaryan on loan from Arsenal. The primary announcement came very late on 1st September, via Romano at 10:14pm BST, with Austini claiming he would arrive on loan with an option to buy seven minutes later. Although such an option was not officially announced, there is hope that Roma could make his signing permanent if he has a good season.
Roma brought in four players on loan towards the end of the summer transfer window, deals which could prove to be shrewd operations.
Nikola Kalinic joined from Atletico Madrid with an option to buy, while Chris Smalling - the second English player in the club's history - Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Davide Zappacosta all came in on dry loans. However, not all the loan deals Roma have made in recent years have been successful. Excluding loans that involved an obligation to buy (such as the ones to sign Gianluca Mancini and Jordan Veretout this summer), here are the last 10 temporary signings Roma have made, and how well each one went. 2018 - Jonathan Silva High up a very long list of bad and bizarre decisions made by previous sporting director Monchi, Jonathan Silva was chosen as the replacement for Emerson Palmieri, who had just joined Chelsea, in January 2018. The difference between the two players could not have been greater. Roma desperately needed a reliable left-back to provide competition for Aleksandar Kolarov, who had made a blistering start to his Giallorossi career, but was starting to show signs of fatigue. Silva, however, was not that man. Thanks in part to injury, which made his signing even more questionable, it took until late April for him to make his club debut. His next appearance for the club would be his last. Naturally, Roma declined their option to buy him - which would have worryingly become an obligation had he made more than 10 appearances. 2017 - Clement Grenier January loan deals have not tended to be kind to Roma. Grenier arrived 12 months before Silva, but his impact was only slightly greater. It was thought that the former Lyon man could add some creativity to Luciano Spalletti's attack, which was in danger of becoming a bit one-dimensional, but he only made one start in Serie A. There were signs that he still had some quality, as he provided an assist for Stephan El Shaarawy on that start, against Palermo, but injuries seemed to have caught up with him, and in the end, it was just the wrong fit. He has since returned to his native France, spending a season at Guingamp before joining Rennes last summer. 2016 - Thomas Vermaelen There was a fair weight of expectation when Vermaelen arrived at Roma on a season's loan from Barcelona in 2016. The Lupi needed defensive reinforcements, and Vermaelen was a player with bundles of experience who, on paper, should have been a valuable asset. In the end, that was not the case. Often struggling with injury, but also finding difficulty in adapting to the tactics of the Italian game, the former Arsenal man was more of a liability than a help. Things started negatively when he was sent off for two yellow cards just 41 minutes into his debut, in the Champions League play-off tie against Porto. And his situation did not improve from there, with it eventually being a no-brainer to pass on the option to sign him. 2015 and 2016 - Wojciech Szczesny One of the more successful loan spells of recent times for Roma, Szczesny got his career back on track in Italy after stagnating at Arsenal. At first, it was not clear whether he would be first choice or if Morgan De Sanctis would retain the gloves, but the Polish shot-stopper quickly established himself as number one. Overall, he did well enough in the 2015-16 season to see Roma extend his loan for another year. For his second season, Szczesny continued as first choice, despite the arrival of Alisson Becker. Looking back, that hierarchy looks bizarre, but at the time it made complete sense. Szczesny improved further in his second year with Roma, whereas Alisson was still something of an unknown quantity in Europe. Hence, it was quite disappointing to see Szczesny join Juventus on a permanent deal at the end of the season, as his service had been important in a critical position - but little did Roma know the value of his understudy, who was ready to become one of the best goalkeepers in the world the following season. 2016 - Federico Fazio After two unsuccessful years at Tottenham, the last part of which was spent on loan back at Sevilla, Federico Fazio needed a change. Coming to Roma gave him the perfect chance to get away and start afresh. The Argentine, despite lesser expectations, was practically an instant hit. The 3-4-2-1 system being used by Spalletti was perfect for the defender, and as a result, he was one of the strongest players of the season. At €3.2m, the option to buy him permanently looked like a bargain, and even if he has never quite replicated the form of that season, he has still been an important member of the squad - enough to earn a contract extension recently. 2016 - Diego Perotti Arriving half a season before his compatriot Fazio, Perotti helped replenish a Roma attack that was beginning to look short of ideas - having only managed to score more than one goal in three of the last 10 matches before he joined. Brought in on loan from Genoa, Perotti proved useful as either a left winger or a false nine, and like Fazio, remains at the club today after his loan was bought out. Perotti has since passed 100 appearances for the club, while his role as first-choice penalty taker has seen him score 26 times for the Giallorossi. 2016 - Ervin Zukanovic It may come as something of a surprise to find out that Zukanovic was still owned by Roma as recently as June 2018. The Bosnian's addition from Sampdoria in January 2016 felt like an emergency measure, as Roma were desperately short of defensive options. Zukanovic was steady enough to fill in the gaps when needed, but managed just 10 appearances in total. The option to buy him was exercised, but he was immediately loaned out to Atalanta, and never played for Roma again. 2016 - Stephan El Shaarawy Like Perotti, El Shaarawy was brought in to create a more dangerous attack for recently-appointed Spalletti. He certainly succeeded in that task, scoring a backheel flick on his debut against Frosinone. It was a sign of things to come, as the Italian put his unsuccessful spell with Monaco behind him by adding a further seven goals before the end of the season. The decision to purchase him outright from AC Milan was one of the easiest Roma have had to make in recent times. However, over the next couple of seasons, he struggled to recapture that initial spark of form on a consistent basis. Last season, he finally returned to delivering his potential, before he was sold to Shanghai Shenhua to the frustration of many fans. 2015 - Lucas Digne Roma made Leonardo Spinazzola their third most expensive signing of all-time this summer, behind Patrik Schick and Gabriel Batistuta, but they may not have needed to if they had continued their association with Lucas Digne. The French full-back had only been used as a rotation player in his two years at PSG, and needed a new environment to accomplish his potential. As for Roma, their free signing of Ashley Cole the year before had not gone to plan, and Jose Holebas had moved to Watford, meaning a new left-back was required. Coming to Roma gave Digne the opportunity to reunite with Rudi Garcia, who had been his manager at Lille, where he started his career. The duo picked up from where they had left off, with Digne nailing down the starting spot ahead of Emerson Palmieri (who is not included in this list because his loan from Santos became an obligation to buy after he made 10 appearances for the club). Digne finished the season with three goals from 42 appearances, and declared his desire to stay - but Roma failed to exercise their option to buy him, making the questionable decision to replace him with Mario Rui, while watching the Frenchman secure a move to Barcelona for an initial €16m - a figure probably greater than the one PSG had pencilled in with Roma when negotiating the option to buy. 2015 - Norbert Gyomber Most of Roma's business that summer was conducted through loan deals, including ones that brought Mohamed Salah, Antonio Rudiger and Edin Dzeko to the club - all of which were made permanent. Continuing chronologically backwards, though, brings us to another player who was bought at the end of his loan spell - in far more confusing circumstances. Slovakian defender Gyomber had made just six appearances after arriving on temporary terms from Catania, who had just been demoted to the Lega Pro as part of a match-fixing scandal. Despite his failure to make an impact, Roma signed him permanently for €1.5m. Like Zukanovic after him, he did not play for the club again, joining Pescara, then Terek Grozny, then Bari on loan. He now plays for Perugia having secured a permanent move last summer, but his original contract he signed upon completing his permanent move to Roma would have only expired two months ago. Roma picked up a point from a difficult Derby Della Capitale clash with Lazio on Sunday, meaning they have drawn their first two games of the season. After drawing with Genoa on the opening day, the level of test stepped up a notch for Paulo Fonseca, who took charge of his first Rome Derby, and things started positively when Aleksandar Kolarov opened the scoring from the penalty spot - his second goal against his former club for Roma. However, after the break, Luis Alberto levelled things up for the designated home side, who had more than twice the number of shots Roma did. Lazio thought they'd won it late on through Manuel Lazzari, but the goal was correctly disallowed due to an offside in the build up - not to mention the ball being out of play when it was crossed to the former SPAL man. The woodwork was the star of the show, keeping Lazio out four times, while Nicolo Zaniolo hit the post twice for Roma - who have still not been behind in either of their games so far this season. Here is what we learnt from a somewhat uncharacteristically open and free-flowing Derby. Decision making in attack needs to improve While Lazio were the side with more shots on goal, Roma had their fair share of the ball in dangerous areas too. And the gap between the two sides' number of efforts would have been smaller had Roma shown better decision-making in the final third. Wingers Justin Kluivert and Cengiz Under often struggled to keep hold of the ball, but when they did, they sometimes chose the wrong options, passing when they should have shot and vice versa. Zaniolo, despite going close twice, was also guilty of this in the second half, when after charging down the right wing, he tried to shoot with the outside of his left foot, when it would have been wiser to square the ball to a teammate. Perhaps the impending arrival of Henrikh Mkhitaryan from Arsenal will help Roma show more maturity in attack. Improvements seen when Dzeko gets on the ball There were moments when things started to flow better - mainly when Edin Dzeko got on the ball. The striker, who recently renewed his contract, was a peripheral figure at times in the first half, but when he started to drop deeper and pick up the ball from goal kicks and clearances, things immediately improved. Dzeko is the glue that binds Roma together, and if he plays well, then so do those around him. This lineup needs to be built in a manner which gets Dzeko involved as often as possible, because he remains Roma's most dangerous player and can be a calming influence with his experience and strength. Pre-season schedule catching up with Roma Just like in the Genoa game, the final quarter of an hour or so saw a lack of inventiveness from the attackers, whose movement greatly diminished. Is this is a sign of fatigue, and if so, can it be attributed to Roma's rather disorganised pre-season? After pulling out of the International Champions Cup due to the Europa League qualifiers - which they soon found out they would not have to be involved in - Roma had few tests in pre-season, mainly playing lower level opposition. This helped the new signings settle in, but physically, did not provide Roma with the workouts they needed to get up to the required standards. Would it have been a different story if Roma had played those ICC games? Who knows, but at least there are now two weeks before the next game for the squad to get back in peak condition. Defence caught ball watching for Lazio goal While the frame of the goal was Roma's saviour on a scarcely believable number of occasions, they were the architects of their own downfall for the shot that did go in. First of all, Kolarov wasn't strong enough and was dispossessed, leading to a Lazio counter attack. Once Ciro Immobile had got in behind everyone apart from Gianluca Mancini and Pau Lopez, there were three other defenders running back and facing him. None of them opened their bodies up to spot Alberto making the late run into the box, leaving the Spaniard with a free attempt on goal. Federico Fazio was the closest to him who should have been facing the danger rather than being sucked in to a scenario that was partially being dealt with by Mancini. Was this goal also down to Fonseca's high line, as someone like Fazio would have been facing forwards and stopping Alberto if the defence had started from deeper? Perhaps that's one lesson for the new coach to learn as he seeks his first win. Lack of natural defensive midfielder shows Many of Lazio's counter attacks could have been snuffed out if there had been a proper defensive midfielder there to read and break up the play. Following the departures of Daniele De Rossi and Steven Nzonzi this summer, Roma have been left with a starting duo of Bryan Cristante and Lorenzo Pellegrini at the base of Fonseca's midfield. Of the two, Cristante is the more likely to develop into a true defensive midfielder, although it is not his natural role, while Pellegrini would fare better if deployed in a more advanced role. Hopes will be hinging on summer signings Amadou Diawara and Jordan Veretout to make the difference once they are ready to start, because as things stand, the midfield is lacking equilibrium, which is causing too many problems. Player Ratings: Lopez 6; Florenzi 6; Mancini 7; Fazio 5; Kolarov 6; Cristante 6; Pellegrini 6; Under 5; Zaniolo 7; Kluivert 4; Dzeko 6 Subs: Pastore 4; Santon 5; Diawara 5 Coach: Fonseca 5 Man of the Match: Zaniolo |
samuel bannister
Founder and editor of Giallorossi Yorkshire, who is also a columnist for Roma's official website about the women's team. Categories
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