The Roma front office held agn emergency meeting yesterday after the debacle against Spezia: Team manager Gianluca Gombar and global sport officer Manolo Zubiria were fired for the snafu related to the substitutions. Paulo Fonseca was confirmed on the bench for the time being, but the turnaround will have to start quickly in the upcoming rematch versus Spezia, as the management is seriously considering making a coaching change in the near future, Gazzetta dello Sport, Ansa and multiple publications report.
The main candidates to take over are former Juventus bosses Massimiliano Allegri – who has long appreciated the destination – and Maurizio Sarri. However, they would both prefer to begin their tenure at the end of the season. The idea of a hiring a caretaker manager to finish the campaign was also discussed and in that case the options would either Walter Mazzarri or Luciano Spalletti – though the latter is considered too divisive for his multiple stints at the club. New director Tiago Pinto proposed Leonardo Jardim, who is currently a free agent.
According to Rome newspaper Il Messaggero, owners Dan and Ryan Friedkin are unconvinced by Fonseca’s leadership and methods and they believe the squad practice too briefly and without the necessary intensity to keep up with the top teams. For those reasons, a switch is considered inevitable in the summer – but it could come sooner rather later if the results do not improve fast.