Roma handed Ivan Juric the keys after dismissing Daniele De Rossi, but he wasn’t the only option on their radar. The gaffer was open to a seasonal contract, which increased his chances of getting the job.
Per Corriere dello Sport, the Giallorossi weighed at least four more candidates. They inquired about Stefano Pioli, but things were too advanced between him and Al-Nassr. He was at their airport to fly to Saudi Arabia when he received their call.
Roma tested the water for a few up-and-coming coaches in addition to Juric. The most concrete alternative was Edin Terzic since he’s out of contract after the end of his spell at Borussia Dortmund. Despite reaching the Champions League final last season, he resigned after finishing 5th in the Bundesliga. Instead, Xavi politely turned down their proposal right away.
Moreover, the capital club reached out to Francesco Farioli and Franck Haise, who are held in high regard by director Florent Ghisolfi. However, they took over new teams, Ajax and Nice, too recently to really consider leaving.
Our Take on Roma, Juric, and De Rossi
Can’t fault them for trying but, other than Terzic, the other options were impossible. They should have pulled the plug on their icon before giving him a three-year contract if they had reservations about him, which could have been justified by his inexperience and downturn in form near the end of the season. However, it appears that the call was made at the very top even though not every official agreed with that, and then the owners were talked into changing their minds following the early results.
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