MILAN, Italy — Several hundred protesting Roma supporters awaited the manager, Zdenek Zeman, and his players outside Stadio Olimpico in Rome. His time at the helm of the capital club was all but officially over after a devastating defeat against Cagliari.
"We have to make decisions, but the wound is too fresh at the moment," said the club's general manager, Franco Baldini, in the immediate aftermath of the game. The faith of a team marred by inconsistency on and off the field was in the balance.
Baldini held an emergency meeting the next morning with members of Roma's management, including the sporting director, Walter Sabatini, at their Tonucci offices. The team president, James Pallotta, was consulted at length on the issue from the United States, and supporters gathered outside the building eagerly awaiting the verdict. On Feb. 6, Zeman was sacked having been in charge for a little more than seven months after his arrival from Pescara in June 2012.
Despite the majority acknowledging the requirement for a change of scenery on the sideline at Roma, the decision was still greeted with general animosity. Fans held the Czech tactician in high esteem for his unique style and earlier stint at the helm in the late 1990s. The reason behind the aggravated frustration, however, was a sense of disappointment and despair at facing yet another failed transitional season since the arrival of the American ownership group led by Thomas DiBenedetto.
Since purchasing a majority stake at Roma in 2011, DiBenedetto has pushed to make the club a global brand. The club has made the right signs off the field since replacing Rosella Sensi, but has yet to replicate the silverware and success her father Franco brought before his death in 2008. Significant investment has been made in the playing staff, with an overhaul last summer to rejuvenate the squad. Plans for a new stadium and to improve the Trigoria training center have also been discussed.
The persistent problems on the field for Roma have dominated above all else, and overshadowed the work going on to expand the club's horizons worldwide. Many argue that Roma has lost sight of hiring the right man to deliver the success of the past.
Luís Enrique was poached from Barcelona B last year in an attempt to replicate the Catalan team's style. The Spanish boss simply could not make an impact over the course of his campaign, and was ousted in favor of Zeman after a season. Zeman was expected to bring a thoroughly attacking approach to the team, and he certainly delivered with a combination of 90 goals between scoring and conceding in over half a season. Storied confrontations with Daniele De Rossi and Maarten Stekelenburg also brought unnecessary attention.
It all began to go down hill for Zeman soon after an unappreciated visit to Florida over the winter break for commercial reasons. The trip was at a time when rest was of the essence, and friendly games were not what the team needed to push on in the second half of the Serie A season. His outbursts that there were "no rules in the dressing room" were the first signs of an imminent departure in January.
"It smacked of someone who did not know what they were doing," Baldini said before Zeman's dismissal. "We spoke to outline that he still had control after the Bologna draw to assure him he had control."
Less than a week later, Zeman was out the door and the Roma went back to the drawing board. Supporters and the news media were questioning the position of both Baldini and Sabatini. Baldini has carried the outfit on a day-to-day basis, while Sabatini has unearthed promising youngsters such as Erik Lamela and Marquinhos, who have given the squad a new lease of life.
The mood at Stadio Olimpico has since taken a turn in less than a month after a recent win and developments in the boardroom. The former assistant Aurelio Andreazzoli smoothly stepped into the hot seat, and implemented much needed tactical changes. Last weekend the Giallorossi defeated Juventus in an emotional encounter, with Francesco Totti's bullet of a strike determining the outcome of the game in the first half. While reports of a sheik preparing to buy a share in the team circulated through the press.
The change in fortunes after Roma's first victory of 2013 immediately followed the club announcing that it had reached a "preliminary agreement" with the Jordanian Sheik Adnan Adel Aref al Qaddumi al Shtewi to become a shareholder in AS Roma SpA. The American contingent currently has a 60 percent stake, but the al Shtewi, a resident of Italy and owner of oil companies in Italy and Canada, is reportedly prepared to invest upward of $65 million, and propel plans for the new stadium in the capital.
The time that has been taken to launch Roma in a "U.S." style has to be dedicated to appointing the right manager. Favorites range from the recent France manager Laurent Blanc to the current Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri, and even the highflying former player and interim boss Vincenzo Montella at Fiorentina. All three could slot in with ease, and prove better choices than the gambles that were Enrique and Zeman. Management is leery of making another mistake.
Roma is a team with the ideal balance between youth and experience. The new manager, expected to be appointed in June, has to be a guy capable of going the distance, who will also need to be guaranteed the necessary time to leave his mark. The club hierarchy now seems to have the right mix of financial heft and soccer expertise. The Giallorossi must now deliver success as a team and break the transitional groove.
Dylan Fahy is an Italian football writer based in Milan. He regularly contributes to The Independent, Sky Sports Italia, Scottish Television and Football-Italia.
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