“Spalletti is right. Pallotta is right. Our primary goal is to finish in second place. But now third place will do just fine. This is the result was exiting the CL preliminaries with Porto, in Europa League with Lyon, in the Italian Cup with Lazio. With Scudetto gone, which is better than a second, or even third place in a three-league championship? In short, everything does broth. The same good broth with last night’s victory against a Milan at the very bottom end ever. The Rossoneri have just the name left. However it is a victory that brings Roma to +1 on Napoli, but with the pitfalls of the next round, we at home with Juve and they are in Turin with the Granatas. Victory but not without controversy. Spalletti defends his job and defends his choices, of course.
A quick summary: last year, great work, Spalletti regenerates the team from Rudi Garcia’s last shambles, then in the last days of the championship he won third place also thanks to the 4 goals of Totti first outcasted and kicked out of Trigoria, then put back into play. This year Roma were kind of favourite but soon goes out of the Champions League, a great championship until February, then the light suddenly turns off and goes out of all the competitions. Bad games with Lazio in the Cup and in the championship. Out of the Scudetto fight and sucked in back by Napoli for second place spot. But hearing the technician now also the third place is not to be thrown away. Well.
How do we judge this season? Third place definitely a fail. In a three-time championship, you would be the last one. The second place would be disappointing, given the initial goals for the three competitions. But all in all, recyclable. Now this other chapter: Spalletti mysterious games on its future, fighting with journalists, change versions and thoughts; now also does same as Franco Baldini “but where I am now”. The Club announced that Totti ends here, but Totti does not confirm. That’s how the rips season started. But it’s all right. Spalletti is not obliged to play Totti or play it just to get him applause at 5 minutes from the end to the result obtained, with the crowd chanting his name in Milan.
But it’s okay. This is done for Roma, for the result and for the goal of the second place. But then they do not tell who came on in the field as replacement. Not a phenomenon, but Bruno Peres who did not deserve to play even half a second, considering the disasters he’s done this year. Even Spalletti realized that, a little later but at least he was understood at the end. But now to get Peres on not only in place of Totti but also of anyone else on the bench yesterday, it’s just a slap in the face, nothing more. We’re not stupid, Luciano. Then let’s see what Totti will do and see what Spalletti will do. Surely their roads will be divided forever. If Totti becomes a Roma Director, Spalletti will no longer be the coach, and vice versa. But then we don’t care really. Roma comes first, right?
We read and heard: “But did you see how Juve handle their players, we want to be like them. Del Piero was driven out; we need to do the same with Totti. Totti is the ruin of Roma”… by Romanist fans. That is, the strongest player in Roma’s history is not a problem; it’s even a ruin. “We will never be at the Juve levels until Totti remains”. Meanwhile, Juve when he fired Del Piero signed Tevez, not Destro, and then the various Higuain and Dybala to follow suit. Juve can boast Scudettos, trophies, and great players, but us instead? If I bring 6 championships in a row, cups and Champions League finals, normal that a Juve fan says “Del Piero? Pogba? Who cares? But us? Where are our trophies? We’ve only seen the usual story, no trophies, and no nothing. And so many second places, in a championship made of three teams, really ridiculous. For the last 25 years our only boast and pride in Italy and abroad was just Francesco Totti. We only have him. Nothing else. Abroad people know AS Roma because there is Francesco Totti, not because there is Spalletti. The fact remains that once this is over, Totti will always be a legend in Rome and a legend of world football. Regardless. Spalletti, on the other hand, should instead continue to go around football pitches, to be appreciated, if he succeeds.
Goodbye Luciano, always Forza Roma!”.
Stefano Sale @asroma.ie