GIALLOROSSI YORKSHIRE BLOG
It would be hard to find a more hated man at Roma than Franco Baldini at present.
The former sporting director, turned advisor to president James Pallotta, has drawn the wrath of fans due to his influence in the decision not to reward Daniele De Rossi with a new contract, while he was also called out by Francesco Totti in all but name when the Roma legend announced his resignation from his role as a director. "You can't have too many people sticking their oar in and causing chaos," Totti ranted. "Everyone should do their own job and leave the others to get on with their own work, that'd allow everything to run smoothly. "You can do all the talking you want from Trigoria, but the last word will always come from London." While members of the club hierarchy confirmed that Baldini no longer had an official role with the club, it was clear for all to see that he was still pulling the strings, abusing his close ties with Pallotta to overturn the wishes of others within the club. New sporting director Gianluca Petrachi, however, insisted that he would not let Baldini overpower him when he spoke to the press for the first time. "I want everyone here to understand that Franco Baldini won't be influencing my decisions or telling me what to do," he insisted, "because before joining this club, I said quite clearly: 'If you want me, this is who I am; otherwise, you've got the wrong guy'." A breath of fresh air, no doubt, for the fans who had grown so tired, frustrated and angry at Baldini's opinion being taken more seriously than anyone else's. The strong-willed Petrachi admitted, however, that Baldini could still be an asset. "But Franco Baldini can be resource for me. He has an in-depth knowledge of the game and he's done my job before. He knows the difficulties and problems I face. "If Franco Baldini calls me tonight, as he's done in recent days and weeks, and says, 'There's the chance to get this player', if he knows the right channels to go down, and if he's the right sort of player, I'll tell him to go ahead and then I'll speak to whoever I have to speak to. That's the sort of collaboration there should be between a consultant and a sporting director. I can assure you that if the opposite were to happen, then I wouldn't be sitting here." Not even a week on, and Baldini is already back in the news. However, this time, he could actually be doing Roma a favour. According to La Stampa's Matteo De Santis, Baldini will meet with Tottenham Hotspur - another club with whom he has a tarnished reputation, having overseen the sale of Gareth Bale to Real Madrid before re-investing the money poorly - to discuss the possibility of Roma signing Toby Alderweireld on Friday. The Belgian centre-back has excelled in his five seasons in the Premier League - initially at Southampton, and then at Spurs. One of the best defenders in the division, he has frequently been linked with a move to bigger clubs such as Manchester United, with his £25m (€27.8m) release clause looking more than appealing in the current market. Far from just being a replacement for Kostas Manolas, Alderweireld would be a definitive upgrade over the Greek, who recently departed for Napoli. A much more solid player who is also better on the ball, his 30 years of age should be no concern. Roma need players of his quality now. If Baldini was successful in his attempts to bring Alderweireld to Roma, how far would that go towards changing the general perception of him? It will take a long time for him to rebuild the bridges he burnt by playing a role in pushing Totti and De Rossi out of the club, but, if he's not going to go away, then this would be an ideal first step on a difficult road to redemption. If any deal included Nicolo Zaniolo going the other way, then it may feel like going back to square one, but realistically, it's important not to get too carried away by the young midfielder. His first season was inconsistent, and Roma may never get these kinds of offers for him again. Alderweireld would be more important to this team right now. Without Champions League football next season, Roma shouldn't really be able to compete for a player of such quality. But if Baldini can make it possible, it would be a coup. Adding Alderweireld could be the remedy he needs. This is exactly the kind of deal that Petrachi was talking about: Baldini has his contacts, and if they can help him benefit Roma, then he could be useful after all. He might just be able to give them a few leads on players that can bolster the quality of the squad. But it would just be one step, and a far from certain one at that. In reality, it will likely take more than just Alderweireld to heal the wounds that Baldini has inflicted on the supporters recently.
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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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October 2019
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