Football Season Guide

The past season was not a memorable one for Roma: in fact, they never really managed to fight for the Scudetto, a negative run at the start of the new year saw them losing all hope of the title and for a top 4 finish, well before springtime, but a final 8-game undefeated run allowed them to secure the 5th standing and a direct Europa League qualification. At some point, coach Fonseca, in his first season in charge of the team, looked doomed and about to be sacked, but the surprising adoption of a back 3 allowed him to give solidity to his defence and to regain some confidence from the management and the fans. The Portuguese gaffer was logically confirmed during the summer but he will have to deal with a completely different management from last season, as after exhausting discussions, U-turns and negotiations, the Pallotta era came to and end and the Friedkin one started. As with every new President arriving in Rome, Friedkin is ambitious and longing for great results but he will first have to adapt himself to a complicated reality he knows nothing about, yet. The squad lost a couple of protagonists over the summer in Smalling, their best defender in the past campaign, who returned to his parent club, Manchester United, and Kolarov, a left-back turned into a solid centre-back by Fonseca, who left for Inter. Besides them, Kalinic and Zappacosta also saw the end of their loans, but they had both failed to leave a mark for different reasons. The likes of Veretout, Mancini, Mkhitaryan and Perez all earned themselves a confirmation and they are worth all the money spent for turning their loans into permanent deals. So far, the sole new face to have arrived at the club is represented by Pedro, who hardly ever made the pitch last season at Chelsea, and seems to be well-past his glory days. Roma are currently looking for a goalkeeper, as Lopez was often disastrous, a couple of solid defenders, while hoping to have Smalling back from Manchester United again, a central midfielder, a centre-forward and one more attacking midfielder, considering that Zaniolo will miss out for a long time again.