As it has been rumored for months, Roma made it official Tuesday that they will move on from Paulo Fonseca and look for a new coach. The gaffer met with CEO Tiago Pinto yesterday and was told that the club would go in another direction. His contract would have been automatically renewed if they qualified for Champions League, but the late slide and the romp at the hands of Manchester United made it impossible.
Chairman Dan Friend stated: “On behalf of everyone at AS Roma, we would like to thank Paulo Fonseca for his hard work and leadership over the past two years. He guided the team through many challenges, including the COVID pandemic and a change of ownership, and did so with selfless integrity and great character. We wish him all the best for his future endeavors, and we know that he will be a great asset wherever he goes.”
The Portuguese coach finished fifth in his first campaign at the helm, while the Giallorossi are currently in seventh place, with slim chances of moving up in the standings. He has collected 50 wins, 20 draws, and 27 losses during his time in the Italian Capital.
Roma are targeting Maurizio Sarri, but it is not a done deal yet. Missing out on Champions League and the fact that they could not match his previous salary raised some doubts in the former Napoli and Juventus boos, Repubblica reports. The last meeting between the parties dates back to January, and a proper negotiation about his contract and the transfer market strategies has yet to take place, Sky Sport indicates.