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Alberto Aquilani could return to Roma as a coach, 10 years after he left as a player.
Aquilani came through Roma’s academy in the early 2000s, before making more than 100 appearances for the first team. The midfielder joined Liverpool for €20m in 2009, but it was a move he would always regret, as he failed to make an impact in England and struggled to resurrect his career thereafter. Now 34, Aquilani is looking for the next step in his career after he was released by Las Palmas in 2018. According to La Gazzetta Dello Sport, the former Italy international could retire from playing and go into coaching, with hometown club Roma willing to welcome him back. The report claims that Aquilani could either take charge of the club’s U16 section, or assist Alberto De Rossi with the running of the Primavera. Last summer, Aquilani admitted to the same publication that it would be a dream to coach Roma. Now, it looks like his wishes are edging closer to reality.
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The agent of Roma starlet Nicolo Zaniolo has revealed that the chances of him signing a contract extension are very high.
Zaniolo has been one of Roma's better players this season, despite his previous lack of Serie A experience. The attacking midfielder has contributed six goals and two assists in all competitions, becoming a trusted member of the first team. Inevitably, his form has seen him linked with a move away, with the likes of Juventus, Tottenham Hotspur and Real Madrid all interested. To warn away potential suitors, Roma have been planning an improved contract for the 19-year-old, but recent comments suggested things might not be as straight forward as planned. Zaniolo's agent, Claudio Vigorelli, recently claimed that nobody from Roma had contacted them over the renewal since Monchi left, responding to comments from Francesco Totti that negotiations are done in twos. This was a cause of concern, putting the likelihood of Zaniolo staying in doubt. However, Vigorelli has now provided some more reassuring comments. "I can only confirm our will to sign with Roma. I believe, however, that it is clear and understandable to all how there is the need to restructure Nicolo's contract," he said to Il Romanista. "I don't think I'm a visionary, saying that compared to 12 months ago the boy's situation has profoundly changed. It's enough to say that for several months I have been receiving a flood of telephone calls from many important clubs, I won't tell you who from, who offer their availability to sign him. Nicolo, however, is concentrating only on Roma, to achieve fourth place that is worth the Champions League. "In the recent past, I had spoken first with Monchi and then with [Ricky] Massara about the future of Zaniolo, we had promised to talk it over after Easter, at most at the end of the season, all we have to do is wait for the call from the club." Want more Roma news on your timeline? Like the new Giallorossi Yorkshire Facebook page! Javier Pastore has admitted that he was overlooked by Eusebio Di Francesco, but having returned to the starting lineup, is ready to give his all for Roma in the final four games of the season.
The attacking midfielder has been the biggest disappointment of Roma's season, failing to live up to his price tag and reputation. Injuries may have hampered his opportunities, but even when fit, he has shown a lack of effort. However, yesterday brought Pastore's first appearance under Claudio Ranieri, and he scored within eight minutes, as Roma beat Cagliari 3-0 to keep the pressure on in the hunt for a top four place. And the Argentinian was keen to highlight the impact that Ranieri has made on Roma's season. He told Sky Sport Italia: “I think we had a good performance, the important thing was to win, take three points and continue to follow our objective which is to qualify for the Champions League.” “[Ranieri] understood the situation we were in, which wasn’t the right one. He spoke to every single player, he made us pay more attention to not conceding goals because with the quality we have we can always score them. He has increased our self-esteem. “I was unlucky to pick up an injury right at the start of the season, then after that I wasn’t considered an option for the previous coach, and I lost many months. Now I am back in confidence, I'm well and I hope to help the team in these last matches.” Pastore now has three goals from just six league starts this season. Want more Roma news on your timeline? Like the new Giallorossi Yorkshire Facebook page! Stephan El Shaarawy has vowed that he is happy at Roma and wants to continue impressing for the club.
The winger is enjoying his finest season to date in a Roma shirt, and netted his 10th Serie A goal of the season against Inter Milan last weekend with a beautiful strike from outside the box. In an interview with Sky Sport Italia, El Shaarawy has reiterated how much he feels at home at Roma, and that he wants to extend his contract beyond its 2020 expiry date. “Yes [I feel more comfortable here], and always more so,” he confirmed. “I’m still very happy here – I told the club that we can speak at the end of the season, but I am happy here and right now want to focus on qualifying for the Champions League.” With his 10 league goals, El Shaarawy is Roma’s top scorer this season, something which he confirms is a source of personal pride. “It means a lot, these small achievements give me a boost – it shows I’ve found some consistency. I’m happy with how I’m playing, not just in terms of the numbers but with my overall performances – I’ve been working hard on myself and how I prepare for games, and now I’m starting to see the rewards.” The Italy international also praised teammate Edin Dzeko, who is starting to return to form. The pair reportedly had a major fallout at half-time in the loss to SPAL last month, but El Shaarawy insists they have put that behind them. “We are working well together. Edin wants to play for the team, what happened is in the past now. “At the end of the season everyone is a bit nervous and mentally a bit tired, but that shows we want to go on and achieve something. Now everything is fine and we both want to help each other on the pitch.” El Shaarawy may have indicated his desire to stay for next season, but it remains unclear who his coach will be for that journey. Antonio Conte has been offered a huge contract, but El Shaarawy was keen to point out the benefits that current caretaker boss Claudio Ranieri has brought to the club. “Ranieri asks us to work hard in both phases of the game, recently I’ve been scoring more but I’ve also been playing a bit futher back. He likes his sides to be compact, he’s a pragmatic coach.” Antonio Conte has moved into pole position to become Roma’s next head coach, and the club are willing to stretch their budget to land him.
Conte has been out of work since leaving Chelsea at the end of last season, and he has been heavily linked with a return to his native Italy, where AC Milan and Juventus are also interested. However, it appears that Conte is moving ever closer to being confirmed as the new head coach of Roma. According to Calciomercato, Roma have offered Conte a €9.5m salary over a three-year contract. It’s an excessive sum for Roma, but the Giallorossi are reportedly convinced that Conte is the man to take them forward. Conte is expected to make a decision on the offer once he knows if Roma will compete in next season’s Champions League. If they miss out on the top four, then it could be back to the drawing board. Cagliari midfielder Nicolo Barella would prefer a move to Roma this summer, according to reports.
Italian international Barella has been linked with a move to a bigger club for some time, given his impressive displays over the past three seasons in Serie A. Napoli, Inter and AC Milan are interested, while his performances have not gone unnoticed in the Premier League either, as Arsenal and Liverpool have been linked. However, according to Leggo, Roma is Barella's preferred destination, ahead of Milan or Naples. Barella would cost in the region of €50m, so Roma may need to include players as part of the operation. Luca Pellegrini is currently on loan at the Sardinian club from Roma, and the Giallorossi could offer Cagliari the chance to keep Pellegrini for another year, with an option to buy, in a bid to tempt them into selling Barella. Primavera midfielders Alessio Riccardi and Salvatore Pezzella could also be offered in another potential loan. Roma have also been linked with Cagliari keeper Alessio Cragno, who is tipped to arrive as the Lupi's new number one. Claudio Ranieri was asked if he would like to coach Cragno and Barella next year at his press conference ahead of Roma's clash with Cagliari on Saturday, and described them both as "great players". "They’re both great players and I’m sure they’ll have bright futures with the national team," he said. "I can’t think about next year – I can only focus on the Cagliari game." Want more Roma news on your timeline? Like the new Giallorossi Yorkshire Facebook page! Former Roma defender Sebino Nela has revealed that he thinks Roma and Atalanta are the favourites to finish fourth in Serie A this season.
Nela made a total of 397 appearances for Roma across an 11-year spell, and was part of the only Giallorossi side to ever reach the European Cup final. And the 58-year-old believes more memorable European nights could be in store for Roma next season. Asked by Centro Suono Sport to predict who will finish fourth in the league and thus secure Italy's last Champions League spot for next season, Nela said: "Roma and Atalanta are the favourites for fourth place. Milan are struggling a lot and in the next round they will have a difficult engagement against Torino. "At this moment Atalanta, for fun and enthusiasm, and Roma, because they are strong individually, because they are practical and cynical, seem to me the two favourites for fourth place." Atalanta shocked Napoli on Monday evening by beating Carlo Ancelotti's side 2-1, a result which saw them take fifth place from Roma's grasp. Just one point separates the two sides, with Atalanta level on points with fourth-placed Milan, who still have to face Torino and Fiorentina away in their remaining fixtures. In contrast, Roma's hardest fixture will be a home match against champions Juventus, whom Atalanta also have left on their schedule. Atalanta and Milan are both also still in the Coppa Italia, something which could work in Roma's favour. Want more Roma news on your timeline? Like the new Giallorossi Yorkshire Facebook page!
Steven Nzonzi's adventure with Roma could be coming to an end after just one season.
The midfielder arrived in the summer as Roma's most expensive purchase, fresh from playing in - and winning - the World Cup final with France. However, it hasn't all gone to plan for him this season, with fellow defensive midfielder Daniele De Rossi, five years his senior, impressing more. Nzonzi appeared fatigued from the long World Cup run during the first few weeks of the season, and although he has gradually built up a rhythm, he has fallen a little short of expectations. Unlike some of Monchi's other summer signings, he's been far from a disaster, but it seems Roma were hoping for just a little more reward from their investment. Consequently, the 30-year-old is tipped to leave Stadio Olimpico at the end of the season. Roma are prepared to make a loss on Nzonzi, and would only ask for €20m. Premier League side Arsenal have been heavily linked, where Nzonzi would team up with his former Sevilla coach Unai Emery and return to the league where he made his name with Blackburn Rovers and Stoke City. However, Gazzetta Dello Sport observe that two Ligue 1 clubs are interested in taking Nzonzi back to his country of birth instead. Marseille - led by former Roma coach Rudi Garcia - and Monaco are both keen on the defensive midfielder, who has three years left on his contract. Both clubs are outside the qualification places for next season's Champions League, so Calciomercato.it claim that Nzonzi is not fully convinced by either proposition. Arsenal remains the preferred destination for the player. Want more Roma news on your timeline? Like the new Giallorossi Yorkshire Facebook page! Midfielder Lorenzo Pellegrini has revealed that he is only thinking about Roma, despite intense speculation linking him with a move away.
Pellegrini has been one of Roma's better players this season when fit, establishing himself as a key part of the first team picture. The Rome-born player has now racked up more than 50 appearances for the club, and has been outlined as a potential future captain. However, an inviting €30m release clause in his contract - which can be paid in two installments - has fans worried that he could be on his way out in the summer, with Inter Milan, Manchester United and PSG heavily linked. Nonetheless, Pellegrini has claimed that he wants to stay at his boyhood club. When asked to analyse his season in an interview with Sky Sport Italia, the 22-year-old said: "I have taken some personal satisfaction, even if injuries haven't allowed me to play with continuity. I am someone who, the more I play, the better I feel. However, I rate it as a season of growth, but we hope to reach the Champions League. "The future? I'm fine here and I feel at home, I'm not looking for anything else. Roma is one of the most important teams in Italy, but let's see. I have always said that staying here would make me very proud and I would feel honoured. But there are some dynamics in football which you are not the only one to manage." Pellegrini's last words may be an admission that his future could be out of his hands, but Roma have reason for optimism that he will stay - especially in the case of a top four finish. And the number seven seems confident that Roma can achieve that goal as they look ahead to a crucial match against Inter on Saturday. "[The Inter game won't be] decisive, no, because we have to believe until the maths tells us the opposite. In any case, it is certainly a tricky game that would allow us to shorten the gap with Inter and go to within three points of them. Our goal is to return to the Champions League; from third or fourth place does not interest us, the important thing is to be there." The former Sassuolo man also praised the work done by interim boss Claudio Ranieri, highlighting where Roma have changed since he took charge. "We are certainly more compact, because that is what he makes us work on most. He also tells us to stay short, just as [Eusebio] Di Francesco did, even if we were missing it a bit in the last period. Now we are rediscovering it. We have found a bit of serenity again with the victories and Ranieri gives you the right charge that you need." Want more Roma news on your timeline? Like the new Giallorossi Yorkshire Facebook page! Claudio Ranieri has reiterated how proud he is to be managing Roma again, halfway through his tenure for the 2018-19 season.
The 67-year-old has taken Roma from the depths to within one point of the top four, bringing out the best in some of the club's underperforming players. Now, as attention turns to whether he deserves the job on a permanent basis, Ranieri has revealed that he is not ready for retirement just yet. Previewing Roma's trip to face Inter on Saturday, the coach told reporters: “It’s a special feeling being the Roma coach – whether we’re playing at San Siro or another stadium doesn’t change anything. Being a fan of a team and being their coach makes you as proud as you can be. "Playing Inter, who are fighting for a Champions League place but aren’t too far ahead of us, is a nice challenge.” Rome-born Ranieri has certainly been the guiding light that this Roma squad have needed. And, as he reaffirms how strongly he feels about his hometown club, he insists that his job hasn't been as difficult as others may have perceived it. “I feel good here in Rome. My eyes sparkle for two teams: Roma and Cagliari. I came through the ranks at Cagliari, who gave me the chance to get to Serie A. I have memories of all my former teams but these two are the teams I have in my heart. "I don't feel like a prophet; I simply feel like a professional who has been able to do his job, as he knows how. In the past I’ve come into clubs during difficult periods. I'm super happy with my career, which isn't over yet. Who knows what tomorrow will bring?” With Antonio Conte, one of the names linked with the Roma hotseat for next season, discussing the kind of project he wants from his next job, Ranieri explained that he will not be passing judgement on Roma's future appointment. “It’s not for me to say. I know what I need to do here – I need to try and get this team as high up the table as possible. "I’m not the one who makes the club’s future plans. We coaches are always the last to know. I’m thinking about doing my job this season, then it will depend on what the club president wants to do and how the league finishes. You know very well that there’s a big gap between qualifying for the Champions League and failing to do so.” Want more Roma news on your timeline? Like the new Giallorossi Yorkshire Facebook page! |
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