GIALLOROSSI YORKSHIRE BLOG
We are now three quarters of the way through the January transfer window, and Roma are yet to make any alterations to their squad.
Despite concern among the fanbase that Roma are a little bit light of quality in certain positions - notably centre-back - Monchi hasn't made a move, and as time ticks on, it's starting to look like Roma might not do any business at all. In years gone by though, the January transfer window has been a fruitful time for the club. Several big names have come in midway through the season and made an immediate impact. Here are five of the best. 5. Zago (1998) One of the cornerstones of Roma's victorious Serie A season in 2000-01, Brazilian centre-back Antonio Carlos Zago initially joined the club from Corinthians in the 1997-98 season. Zago soon found himself in Zdenek Zeman's starting lineup, making his debut in a 3-1 win over Lecce on 11th February. Often featuring alongside compatriot Aldair, he started 11 of the 13 remaining Serie A fixtures thereafter until the end of the campaign. Zago continued to be a regular presence across the next three seasons, culminating in the 2001 Scudetto triumph. He left Roma in 2002, having made more than 100 appearances. 4. Stephan El Shaarawy (2016) The 2015-16 season was a tale of two halves for Roma, and Stephan El Shaarawy's January arrival was one of the key factors in inspiring a strong end to the campaign. Signed on an initial loan from Milan, El Shaarawy injected more pace into the side, with Gervinho leaving for China the day after. The Italy international made an immediate impact, scoring a sensational volley with the outside of his boot on his debut. El Shaarawy concluded the season with eight goals in 17 games for Roma, who did not taste defeat in Serie A following his arrival. His transfer was made permanent that summer, and although he has since drifted in and out of form, the influence he had when he first joined the club cannot be denied.
3. Hidetoshi Nakata (2000)
The gifted Japanese midfielder joined Roma from Perugia midway through the 1999-2000 season, debuting in a 3-1 win against Verona. Nakata made 15 appearances across the second half of the campaign, as Roma finished 6th. The year after, Roma would win their third ever Serie A trophy, with Nakata playing in around half the matches. He was inspirational in a May clash with Juventus, scoring one goal and taking the shot that led to the ball being parried out for his side's second, as Roma came from behind to draw 2-2. If Roma hadn't fought back for that point, Juventus would have finished ahead of them in the standings. Nakata moved on to Parma at the end of the season, but had ensured his place in Roma folklore by contributing to the title win. 2. Radja Nainggolan (2014) The dynamic but controversial Belgian midfielder joined in the winter window of Rudi Garcia's first season in charge of Roma. With Michael Bradley leaving for Chievo, Roma brought Nainggolan in on a €3m loan from Cagliari, that would become a co-ownership deal and eventually a permanent signing. 'Il Ninja' made 20 appearances in his debut year, quickly assuming an important role in the side. His best season for Roma came in 2016-17, when, deployed in an attacking midfield role by Luciano Spalletti, he scored 14 goals - many being long-range spectaculars - in 53 games. The number four endeared himself to the Roma faithful thanks to his tireless energy on the pitch, covering immense amounts of ground, and his attacking output with his powerful strike. Nainggolan's summer 2018 move to Inter - which came against his wishes - was met with a mixed reaction from fans, although it now seems clear that Roma got the better side of the deal. Even as his career declines though, the passion with which Nainggolan represented Roma will be remembered as one of the club's best stories of the decade. 1. Vincent Candela (1997) A modern day Roma hero, wing-back Candela originally came to Italy in 1997, joining from Guingamp in his native France for his first stint abroad. Aged 23 at the time, he quickly settled in at Roma, making his first appearance in a February victory over Bari. Always an attacking threat, Candela scored his first two goals for the club in a 4-3 win against Verona that March, including the 89th-minute winner. Candela and Roma were a match made in heaven. He made just shy of 40 appearances the following season, at the end of which he won the World Cup with France. In 1999, Fabio Capello replaced Zeman as head coach, switching to a 3-4-1-2 formation that saw Candela deployed slightly higher up the pitch. The role suited the Frenchman perfectly, and in 2000-01 the biggest rewards came, with Candela missing just one league game as Roma clinched the title. The wing-back contributed three goals along the way.
Another trophy followed that summer, as Candela scored the opener in a 3-0 win over Fiorentina for the Supercoppa Italiana. Picking up the ball on the edge of the box, Candela controlled it beyond an opponent before letting fly with a long-range strike into the bottom corner. He was also the driving force behind the third goal, linking up with Francesco Totti while surging up the pitch, before seeing his shot parried into Totti's path, for his captain to delicately convert.
Candela slowly started to slip out of the first team picture in 2003, and left the club in January 2004, joining Bolton Wanderers on loan. With 280 appearances, 16 goals and two trophies to his name, he left as a definite success, earning his place among legends in Roma's history.
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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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