Football. Ua examines the turn of coaching career of Luciano Spalletti.
Spalletti left Roma without renewing the contract. The second arrival in Rome was short-lived, Luciano stayed at the helm for only a year and a half, but managed to win bronze and silver medals. His Roma conceded in Italy only to Juventus, with Napoli competed in equal fight, and all the other teams could only strive for her level. When Spalletti resurrected Jacko, who became the top scorer of the championship, markedly progressed Nainggolan and Fasio. The Romans showed spectacular football, beat on goal more often than any other league team, and 90 goals scored - a staggering performance measure.
Despite all the achievements, the departure of Spalletti was expected. The coach announced his resignation already two days after the end of the season - for sure this decision was made in advance and did not depend on the results of the ending of the championship. Let's figure out what's what.
Why did Spalletti leave?.
There are a number of reasons. One of them is the results. Yes, Spalletti returned to Roma silver medals and ensured a hit in the group stage of the Champions League. The championship can be written to him in the asset, but the cup competitions Wolves failed. Departure in the Champions League qualification from Porto with home 0: 3 - a painful blow, affecting the finances and prestige of the club. Way in the European League is also not called successful, Roma lost to Lyon in the 1/8 finals.
In general, the derby with Lazio during the season was unsuccessful. Roma, possessing impressive financial resources, was quoted above countrymen, in fact, it turned out differently. In the championship, the teams exchanged nominally guest victories, and the success of Latsiali coincided with the last derby for Francesco Totti, and the young Simone Inzaghi tactically outplayed Spalletti. Worse, Roma flew out of Lazio in the Cup of Italy! Despite the lower position of the Eagles in the table, it is Lazio - the moral winner of the Roman confrontation in the past season, and for fans this is much more important than the race with Napoli for silver.
The next reason is the renewal of the club. Management has made an important personnel decision, inviting the position of sports director Monchi, known for his success in a similar position in Seville. With the coming activity of Monchi, the main hopes of the Romans are connected, so the Spaniard wants to untie his hands, including by inviting a new coach - someone with whom he will be more comfortable working.
Last but not least: Spalletti did not become his Roma, although he headed this team for more than five years. Stadio Olimpico's tribunes held the coach with a whistle in the farewell game of Francesco Totti. Luciano did not find a common language with the idol of the Roman public. Both are famous for their uneasy character and conflicted even during the first call of Spalletti in Roma. Then everything was smoothed out by the playing qualities of Francesco, but this season the patience of the allenator began to burst. Spalletti perceived the presence of a 40-year-old veteran in the team, to whom the press and fans demanded regular playing time.
Apogee of the conflict - exit game with Milan, held on May 7. Roma confidently won 4: 1, but the journalists were not interested in the result, but the reasons for not being on the field of Totti. Spalletti, unable to stand it, broke: "I am constantly criticized, no matter how I acted. When Totti goes out for five minutes, everyone says that I'm making fun of him. When I do not release it, everyone is also unhappy. If I knew that everything would be like this, I would not have returned to Roma ". After such words, the days of Spalletti in Roma were numbered.
Where now?.
Inter, almost certainly. Here there is a complete coincidence of interests. Spalletti is looking for a new club and will not rush to any offer (he already made money in Zenith, and the results were much more successful than Villas-Boas and Lucescu). Inter failed the season and parted ways with Stefano Pioli. The management of the club is full of ambitions, loud transfers have not become a panacea, so in black and blue Milan passionately want to get an authoritative mentor. Antonio Conte and Diego Simeone were still cranes in the sky, but Spalletti is a bird bigger than a tit, and it's almost in the hands. For Inter, the results of the Roma sample of recent years will be an impressive progress.
An important, if not decisive factor - the person of Walter Sabatini, sports director of Inter. In the same position he worked in Roma from June 2011 to October 2016. It was under Sabatini that Spalletti returned to Rome, and Walter himself had a very high opinion of the coaching abilities of Luciano.
Walter Sabatini, in April 2017, before the appointment to Inter: "In the history of Roma, there was often a need to change the head coach. We contacted with such specialists as Unai Emery, Marcelo Bielsa and Marco Giampaolo, but the most correct and optimal choice was Spalletti. No one would have achieved such results ".
Who will lead Roma?.
The question with a much less obvious answer. La Gazzetta dello Sport last week gave such a ranking: Eusebio Di Francesco - 50%, Unai Emery - 30%, Paulo Souza - 20%. Let's say that the failed season in Fiorentina Souza is here to increase the intrigue, the Portuguese have real chances. The other two candidates are very curious.
In favor of Di Francesco: he is a former Roma player who won the Scudetto with her in 2001, as well as a promising coach who brought Sassuolo to European cups. Di Francesco is called the pupil of Zdenek Zeman, a cult figure for Italian football, including Roma. In addition, he knows how to work with young people.
In favor of Emery: this is an authoritative mentor for everyone, except for Artem Dzyuba. Emery three times in a row won LE, which contrasts with the results of the unsuccessfully serving in the European Cup Roma. Finally, Emery is an ideal candidate for Monchy, with whom they formed the victorious tandem in Seville.
We will not argue with Italian journalists. Di Francesco's appointment is more likely. It's simply easier to get it, because Sassuolo is a club of a different scale and does not have the capacity to save his coach from Roma's offer. Emery, although having spent an unsuccessful season in PSG, retains his coaching position - moreover, the president of the Paris club, Nasser Al-Helaifi, after the victory in the French Cup, said that Emery will remain "200%". We are waiting for news.