The Latest AS Roma News
Paulo Fonseca has revealed his excitement at the challenge that lies ahead after he arrived in Rome.
Fonseca will take charge of his first pre-season with Roma having signed a contract earlier this month, and the Portuguese coach spoke to Roma TV of his enthusiasm about the job having seen the facilities first hand. "To be coach of Roma is a great pleasure. I'm very excited and very motivated," he said. "It's a big challenge also, but I believe we can make together great things in Rome. "When Roma invited me, I stayed very excited. To be coach of Roma is a great thing, and I didn't think twice, because to be coach of Roma, I think, is one of the main goals of most of the coaches in Europe. "Like I said, I'm very excited and motivated for building something special here, something different with my ideas. And I believe we can make great things here." Fonseca agreed to become the new head coach after meeting with club president James Pallotta in London, and the former Shakhtar boss shed some light into what was said. "[We spoke] about everything, about my ideas, about the club, about the ideas of the president. I think it was a great meeting. I felt the support of the president; I felt he was also very excited with everything, with my ideas. I loved the meeting a lot. "The offices are very beautiful, it's new. The atmosphere seems amazing to me. I arrive here just now and will see the facilities at Trigoria. But the first impression is amazing." Fonseca has a tough job ahead of him, as he will have to lift a squad that finished sixth in Serie A last year back to where they belong. But he is confident that he is well-equipped to overcome the challenge. "First of all, I'm more experienced. It was a great experience in Ukraine. We had big success at Shakhtar. "I feel this is a different challenge. Calcio is different than in Ukraine. But I'm ready to start working, to start to pass my ideas, with a big, big motivation." The 46-year-old has faced Roma before, when his Shakhtar side were edged out in the Champions League two seasons ago. Despite losing on that occasion, Fonseca has fond memories of the encounter. "I remember everything about the Stadio Olimpico. I remember this game very well - we lost 1-0. It was difficult for me at that time, but I felt the great atmosphere in the stadium and I hope I can feel this atmosphere at every game. It will make us better, because I think we will need this support a lot. And I believe the supporters will be there at all games to support us, like they supported in that game." The hard work will soon start for Fonseca and his new squad, as they will have to begin pre-season early in view of the Europa League qualifiers. And the tactician is confident his players will adapt to his methods. "I have my ideas and I want to implement my ideas. But the main thing is to build a courageous team. This is the main goal. And I believe with these players, we can build a courageous team, a team who can play without a problem with the biggest teams, with the small teams. I want to see courage in my players; I want to see courage - and quality also - in our game. "First they need to know my ideas. Of course, we have to bring motivation for these players. The players have a lot of quality, and I think with our way to play, they will grow up a lot, they will improve, and with this, the team will improve also. "But like I said, I want courageous players, because it will not be easy to play our game. I believe a lot in the quality of these players. We can build a great team." Fonseca's interview concluded with a message for the fans. "I want to say to the fans that we want to build something special, something that will let them be proud of the team each game. Like I said, we will need the support of the fans. I think, all together, we can build something great, a way to play, to make them proud. This is the most important thing, but we believe the supporters will be with the team."
0 Comments
Your weekly video update of Roma transfer rumours, as the Giallorossi set about meeting new coach Paulo Fonseca's needs.
Roma have sold Danish winger Rezan Corlu back to former club Brondby.
Corlu was brought to the club by Monchi as a 19-year-old two years ago, but was moved on on Friday as the former sporting director’s failed dynasty continues to be deconstructed. The attacking midfielder did not make a single appearance for Roma’s first team in his debut season in Italy, before spending last season on loan at Lyngby, who he helped gain promotion to the Danish Superliga, and where he will play again on loan from Brondby next season. Upon Brondby’s announcement of the deal on Friday, Corlu said: “During my stay at Roma, I trained with some of the best players in the world. I have learned and tried on my own what needs to be done and how quickly to think, play and react if you want to stay at a certain level.” Roma have taken the first primitive steps towards meeting their financial targets by selling Ezequiel Ponce to Spartak Moscow.
After failing to qualify for the Champions League, Roma need to raise roughly €45m before the end of the month, and the first player exit of the summer has today been confirmed. Russian side Spartak announced on their website that striker Ponce, who never made a senior appearance for Roma, has signed on a "long-term agreement" with the club. It is believed that Roma have received €8m for Ponce, but his former club Newell’s Old Boys are entitled to a sell-on clause, that means Roma keep €4.8m. Ponce joined Roma in 2015 from Newell's Old Boys in his native Argentina, where he had become the youngest ever player to score in the division. However, the youngster had to settle for a place in the Primavera squad, and an injury scuppered his chances of any first team action. He had spent the past three seasons on loan, at Granada, Lille and AEK Athens respectively. It was at the latter where he established himself most, scoring 21 goals in 43 appearances. However, after the Greek side decided not to exercise their option to buy the player, Spartak have swooped, giving the 22-year-old a new permanent home. Former Roma captain Giuseppe Giannini has criticised the way Francesco Totti was treated by the club.
Totti walked out of Roma on Tuesday, citing a number of factors as a 30-year official association with the club came to an end. Giannini was Totti's idol as a child, and now the former midfielder has given his take on the situation. He told Il Tempo: "At Roma, the most important decisions are made by people who are far away, who don't live at Trigoria and then take the credit for the good things, from a distance. I'm really disappointed with the company in recent years. "Francesco isn't stupid. He himself asked for time because he didn't feel able to play a role as he wasn't ready yet. But this time was not granted to him because, in fact, as he said, he was an inconvenient character, like all the Romans, as I clearly was too." Asked for his opinion on club president James Pallotta, Giannini said: "The same as Francesco explained, he spoke as a director but also as a man. I would have done the same thing." As for Totti's next role, Giannini believes it will only be a matter of time before he is back in work elsewhere. "I don't think he will have trouble finding a role that's suitable for him. He's certainly not a kid now. But he has definitely finished with Roma." Want more Roma news on your timeline? Like the new Giallorossi Yorkshire Facebook page! All of Thursday's Roma transfer rumours in one place - including updates on Marc Bartra, Kevin Bonifazi, Patrik Schick and more.
Roma eye double Betis swoop Roma have been linked with two members of Real Betis' defensive department. First, goalkeeper Pau Lopez is named as a target by Sky Sport's Gianluca Di Marzio, with the same journalist also suggesting that the Giallorossi are interested in centre-back Marc Bartra - formerly of Barcelona. The offer for Lopez is €18m plus €2m in bonuses, as well as part of the sell-on fee for the Spanish club's striker Antonio Sanabria, which Roma were entitled to. As for 28-year-old Bartra, it remains just interest at this stage, although he is valued between €20m and €25m. Moving the other way, from Roma to Betis, could be Daniele Verde, after Real Valladolid decided not to exercise their €2m option to buy the winger. El Gol Digital believe Betis are strongly interested in the player. Bonifazi buyback makes deal difficult Another central defender linked with Roma in recent days is Kevin Bonifazi, who has impressed with SPAL and the Italy U21s. However, Torino have today exercised their buyback option on the player. Given their chairman Urbano Cairo's unwillingness to negotiate with Roma due to the Gianluca Petrachi situation, it probably means Roma's hopes of signing the 23-year-old are over. Schick swap suggested Patrik Schick has long been linked with a move to AC Milan, and with Marco Giampaolo having been confirmed as their new coach, it looks like the Roma striker could team up with his former Sampdoria manager again. Previously, a swap deal with Andre Silva had been suggested, but now, Patrick Cutrone is the name mentioned who could come to Roma as part of the deal (as per Gazzetta Dello Sport). Milan would have to pay Roma €15m plus Cutrone for the deal to go through. Raiola makes Pellegrini offer Having seen his ban from football overturned, agent Mino Raiola is ready to get active in the transfer market. According to Il Messaggero, he has offered one of his Roma-based clients, Luca Pellegrini, to Juventus. Roma want €20m for the young left-back, but Juve's offer will not exceed €15m in cash. Mattia Perin could be inserted into the deal to simplify the operation for the champions. Kolarov finds Fener agreement Another left-back who could leave is Aleksandar Kolarov, who has proven a divisive figure. With just one year left on his contract, it is now claimed by Haberturk that he has agreed personal terms with Fenerbahce ahead of a potential move. He is set to sign a two-year contract, with the option of a third year. Napoli's president has revealed the two main reasons why his club are reluctant to pay the full release clause of Roma defender Kostas Manolas.
Manolas has been heavily linked with a move south to Napoli, with Roma needing the €36m they would gain from the activation of his release clause to balance the books. However, the release clause can only be activated from 1st July, whereas Roma need to meet their financial targets by the end of this month instead. After enduring a difficult season, Manolas has doubts over where he will play next season, with Napoli ready to pounce on the situation. Raul Albiol is set to leave Carlo Ancelotti's side this summer, meaning they need a new partner for Kalidou Koulibaly at centre-back. However, Partenopei president Aurelio De Laurentiis has told Radio Kiss Kiss Napoli that his club have two concerns over a move for Manolas. "We have been working on Manolas since Albiol told us he wasn't interested in continuing with Napoli, since we don't want to force anyone to stay with us, even at his age," he said. "If he wants to leave, he only makes me pleased. "For Manolas, there are two dangers to overcome: understanding his character, with which I think there are some problems. [Sporting director Cristiano] Giuntoli will have to understand if he is compatible with our dressing room because we can't have problems. "The second issue is linked to Roma; we need to understand what ideas they will have. We need to understand the price at which we can acquire him, because we are talking about a player who is starting to get older. "I'm going to invest some money, but the clause must be lowered, because if it matches the high salary of the player, it is clear that it is too high. "With all the respect I have for Manolas, with a logic linked to his age, I value him at a much lower figure." Manolas, 28, has made more than 200 appearances for Roma in his five years with the club so far. Roma will face the winners of Debrecen v Kukesi in the Europa League second qualifying round.
The draw was made at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland today. It's the first time Roma have ever entered at this stage of the competition, after finishing a disappointing sixth last season. There is still the chance that Roma may not have to play this fixture if AC Milan pull out of the group stage due to Financial Fair Play, but at least some form of preparations can begin. Debrecen came third in the Hungarian league last season, while FK Kukesi were the runners up in the Albanian top flight. Kukesi have never reached the group stages of the competition, while Debrecen's last appearance in the groups came in 2010-11. The first qualifying round matches take place on 11th July, with the return leg coming a week later on the 18th - after which Roma will know for definite who they will be playing. The second qualifying round first leg takes place on 25th July, and the second leg will be played on 1st August - nearly a whole month before the Serie A season is scheduled to begin. If Roma get through their second qualifying round tie, they will advance to the third qualifying round, in which victory will seal their place in the play-off round to determine if they will make it to the competition proper. The last time Roma competed in the Europa League, they were eliminated in the Round of 16 by Lyon in 2016-17. That was the furthest they have ever reached since the competition rebranded from the UEFA Cup - a tournament in which they reached the final in 1990-91.
Giallorossi Yorkshire's weekly video on Roma transfer rumours - including the ones you may have missed in the wake of Francesco Totti's resignation announcement.
Francesco Totti has confirmed his resignation from his role as a director at Roma, but insisted it was an "arrivederci", not a goodbye.
Totti has been a director since he retired from playing in 2017 - a decision that was made by the club rather than himself. However, he is now leaving that position as well, complaining that he was not given enough responsibilities. It means that, for the first time this century, Francesco Totti is no longer employed by AS Roma. At his farewell press conference - at which no other club officials were present - Totti confirmed the reasons for his departure. "It was not my fault because I never had the chance to express myself. I was never involved in a genuine technical project. In the first year, that can happen. In the second, I realised what I wanted to do and we never got together, never helped each other. "They knew my intentions and what I wanted to do, to give so much to this club and this team, but they never wanted me to, in all honesty. They excluded me from every decision. "Everyone knows they made me stop playing. They wanted me to stop. I had a six-year contract already as a director. I started quietly, realising it's a completely different sphere to being on the field. "Many promises were made and they were never kept. They knew what I wanted. Naturally, as time goes on, you judge, you evaluate, as I too have a character and don't just sit there doing what they every now and then ask me to do. "I did it for Roma, but as time wore on, I didn't think it fair to put myself at the disposal of people who never wanted me to be there. "The main focus of certain people has been to remove Romans from Roma. In the end, the truth came out, because they achieved what they wanted. "Over the last eight years, since the Americans came in, they tried in every possible way to shove us to one side. As the years went on, they tried everything they could... It's what they wanted and in the end, they succeeded." Totti also hit out at Franco Baldini, who has been advising James Pallotta on the club's decisions, with his viewpoints often at odds with the will of the fans. "The rapport with Franco Baldini has never existed and never will. If I made this decision, it's only normal that there were misunderstandings, problems within the club. "One of us had to go, I stepped aside because you can't have too many people sticking their oar in and causing chaos. 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. There was no point telling people what was wrong and what needed fixing, as it was a waste of time. Nobody listened, they just listened to the word from London." Another key club figure to bear the brunt of Totti's criticism was Pallotta. "A player can always find an excuse, as when things go badly, he says, 'Oh, there's no president here, nobody who tells us how things really are', and this causes problems for the squad every weekend. In my view, it does damage. "I've said before that the president needs to be present more, because when players, directors and staff see the chief, they stand to attention and work the way they ought to. When the boss isn't there, they start doing what they want." The former captain then gave some insight into what role he would have liked to take on. "If I made this decision, then it means I was unable to do anything. I never felt a part of the project, above all on the technical level. Not to big myself up, but I think I have a good eye to see who is a good player and who isn't. "I don't want to do other things, because this is what I feel that I'm good at. With my experience, and I admit I'll make mistakes, but I can recognise talent in a player." Even though Totti admitted he was not saying goodbye to Roma forever, he confirmed that he will not be returning as long as Pallotta is in charge. "Many things made me think about this. I was never allowed to participate, they called me in to I think 10 meetings over two years. They'd always call me at the last minute, as if they were trying to keep me out. After a while, that starts to really weigh on you. "It shows a lack of respect not for a director, but for a person. I tried to bring something to this club, but I saw the thought process on the other side was different. "If I were to return to Roma, we'd need a new owner. First and foremost. If the new owners believed in me, then that would be great. "What I can say is that I will never hurt Roma. This is far worse than retiring as a player. Leaving Roma is like dying. I feel like it'd be better if I died. "So many have told me over the years that I am too much of a weight on this club. That I get in the way. "I wouldn't return if Baldini left, because what's happened has happened. The vase is broken, it cannot be put together again. They made their choice and if they were going to remove Baldini, they would've done it already. "I have nothing against Pallotta and Baldini. They made their choices and I respect that." One of the main issues Totti had a lack of input in was the appointment of the new coach, Paulo Fonseca. "I never talked about or asked about money. I asked to be a technical director because I think I am competent at finding good players. I never asked to run everything. "I asked to make the same decisions as everyone else, but if they get a new coach, get players, sell players and don't ask you, then what kind of a technical director am I? "I didn't go to London because they called me two days before and had already struck a deal with the coach. I don't even know if they've chosen a sporting director. "The only coach I ever called and spoke to was Antonio Conte. It is not true that I called or sent a message to [Gian Piero] Gasperini, [Gennaro] Gattuso or [Sinisa] Mihajlovic. It's all fantasy. "So if they act like I made all these calls and was turned down, yet they made one call to Fonseca and he accepted, no. I will not be made to look like a fool. There is zero truth to it. "I thank [CEO Guido] Fienga publicly, as he is the only one in the club who stood up in front of everyone and said if he were in charge, Totti would be the first choice as technical director. He was the only one who ever stood up for me. "The only coach I ever called along with Fienga was Claudio Ranieri. I made a decision the others didn't want and it was done thanks to Fienga. "I also thank Ranieri, as he would've come to Roma for free. He is a real man. We didn't talk about money, the team, he immediately said: 'Tomorrow I will be at Trigoria.' "Roma fans should be thankful to Ranieri and I am so glad the fans did that during Daniele's last game. "Guido Fienga and I called Conte, before Pallotta knew about it. I said the only one who can transform Roma right now is Antonio Conte. He had given us the all-clear, as we saw and talked to him many times, but then there were problems and he changed his mind." Now, Roma look to an uncertain future without Totti or Daniele De Rossi, who was not offered a new contract by the club despite nearly two decades of service - something which angered his former teammate. "I never got involved in the De Rossi decision. I had already told some directors in September that if you think this is Daniele's last season, tell him straight away, not like with me where you told me two rounds from the end. "He is the captain of Roma, he has to be respected. They all said yes, we'll evaluate, we'll consider, he got injured, the results weren't coming, Di Francesco and Monchi left, it all became more complicated. "The problem at Trigoria is they need to be done straight away, not allowing time to pass. People are scared to make decisions. There has to be one person who makes a decision, not 10. "I talked to Daniele as a friend, not as a director. I told him to look forward, look beyond. I was a Roma director, I couldn't say too much, but as a friend I gave him advice that there could be problems on the horizon. "The problems did arrive, just as they did with me. What I don't understand is if they did this because it's what they wanted to do or if they just didn't think about it. "From what I've seen, it's what they have always wanted: to remove the Romans from Roma." Totti then revealed his thoughts on Roma's current predicament. "Fonseca has to find an environment that is relaxed, with a clear path ahead of him. People already admire him for how he put himself at the disposal of the club. From what I've seen, he is a fine coach who can do well and was very impressive at Shakhtar. "I wasn't ever going to change Roma, but at least give a contribution. Many promises were made, very few of them real. As a fan, that disappoints me, because as a fan, I have dreams of seeing Roma compete at the top. "Even if we don't win the Scudetto, we can compete and maybe win a trophy or two. Unfortunately, there are financial problems and they have to be respected. "If we have to sell because this year we are running at a loss of €50-60m, we can't sell youth players and get that amount of money. We have to sell important players. That's how it works. This isn't a surprise to anyone. "If I was the president of Roma and had two icons like Totti and De Rossi, I'd put them in charge of everything. They have ethics, they know everything about what it means to be Roman and Romanista. "Pallotta surrounded himself with the wrong people and he only listens to them. Everyone makes mistakes, but if you make the same mistakes for eight years, you have to ask yourself some questions. Something clearly is going wrong. "Did someone stab me in the back at Trigoria? Yes. I will never name names, but there are people in there who don't want me there. These people are hurting Roma, not doing what is best for the club. "Pallotta isn't there, he doesn't know what's going on, but I do. I know it like the pockets in my jeans. I know everyone from the usher and cleaners to the chiefs. I grew up in there. I know what the problems are, the resources, who is talking badly behind people's backs. "If someone talks behind another person's back to you, then imagine what he says when you're not there. I think Pallotta in Boston only gets a tenth of the real truth reported back to him. "Over the last few weeks, they tried in every way to keep me there, but via third parties. In two years, I never heard directly from Pallotta or Baldini. They have never called me or sent a message directly "What would you think in that situation? Would you feel loved and wanted there? No, if I make mistakes, that's fine, tell me to my face. None of it ever happened. "As far as I am concerned, I was cumbersome for this club. People told me both as a player and a director that I am a burden. It hurt more this time than to leave as a player, because it's like leaving your mother." When asked if he would thank Pallotta for anything, Totti amicably replied: "I thank him for giving me the chance to stay at Roma, to work and learn a different role. I got to know things as a director that otherwise I never would've known. I thank him so much for that. "Let it be clear: I want Pallotta to succeed and I hope he can take Roma back to where they belong, at the top. I hope he can get the right advice and achieve greatness. "I spoke to Pallotta only once, when I retired as a player. I went to London with my wife and Baldini was there. That is literally the only time we spoke face to face about anything. "I never thought after 30 years of Roma that I'd be here saying goodbye to Roma. I never imagined it. "Pallotta needs to understand Roma and the real problems within Trigoria. I hoped to discuss many things with him, but I never got the opportunity. "I don't want anyone thinking I am against Pallotta or want him to fail, because Roma is Roma and the rest is irrelevant. I just hope that from today, he changes tack. "I don't think they realise what they're doing here, because they don't live in the city, experience the TV, the radio, the papers. Being a Roman, understanding what it means to be Roman, is completely different. You have to be here to realise it. "I am sure that the message coming through to Boston is only 1% of the reality. I hope they can realise what they've been doing in removing the Romans from Roma, but evidently that was their choice and what they wanted. "I am not angry, I am not going against Pallotta or Baldini. I am just explaining why I resigned." Another decision where Totti's input was not taken seriously was the decision to sign Javier Pastore instead of Hakim Ziyech last summer, a move which turned out to be a disaster. "I will not name any players out of respect. I returned from vacation the first year that I retired, they asked me for an opinion on a player and I said that at this moment he would not be good for Roma, because Di Francesco plays 4-3-3. He is in another role, he's had a thousand injuries, in my view, you'd need another player. "Other directors said I always complain, that I cause problems, that I create issues. They asked for my opinion. I would've made a different choice and I think it would've been the right one. "I would've chosen an Ajax player." That was one of many decisions that highlighted the clear discord between Di Francesco and Monchi, which irked Totti. "After a Champions League semi-final, you think next year, you must head to the final. But selling players, and I want to defend Di Francesco - although I want to be clear Monchi chose him, not me, I made no decisions - he asked for four or five players who were never signed. "It's too easy to hide, because the truth hurts. The coach may well have made mistakes, but he asked for four or five players and they signed zero." |
Archives
October 2019
Categories
All
|