Cautiously Optimistic Since 2007
For a typical football club, the future of an increasingly injured, 32-year-old forward headed toward free agency wouldn’t cause much of a stir, but Roma is no ordinary club, and Paulo Dybala has never been an ordinary player. Since arriving in the capital four years ago, the man affectionately known as La Joya has delighted […]
Lost amid the hoopla and fallout from the Gian Piero Gasperini-Claudio Ranieri feud, which led to Ranieri’s dismissal, was another, arguably more important footnote: Director of Sport Frederic Massara may be next on the chopping block. Brought back for his third stint with the club, Roma was banking on the third time being the charm […]
[The following is a guest post from Zach Lowy of Breaking the Lines. For more of Zach’s work, be sure to follow him on social media] From Antonio Conte to Luciano Spalletti, from Massimiliano Allegri to Carlo Ancelotti, Italy has produced a handful of the best coaches of the past decade. But while his trophy cabinet […]
Yesterday’s 2-0 win over Bologna may ultimately prove too little, too late for Roma’s Champions League hopes. Nevertheless, it was an encouraging performance against a club that has given Roma fits over the past few seasons. With the city still buzzing from the Claudio Ranieri-Gian Piero Gasperini feud that led to Ranieri’s dismissal, Roma should […]
With the Gian Piero Gasperini-Claudio Ranieri feud dominating this week’s headlines, Roma would have been forgiven for being a bit distracted ahead of today’s Round 34 fixture against Bologna. Normally, a manager and a senior advisor airing their differences publicly wouldn’t have a dramatic effect on the squad, but with so many of Roma’s current […]
It’s another good-news, bad-news situation for the Giallorossi as they face 8th-place Bologna on the road today. On the positive side of the ledger, Paulo Dybala and Wesley França have returned to the matchday squad after extended absences. Whether they start or not, having these two back in the mix gives Roma a fighting chance […]
Despite my hopes and dreams, the noise surrounding the Giallorossi hasn’t stopped. It didn’t stop after the Europa League collapse, it didn’t stop after the slide down the table, and it certainly didn’t stop after the fracture between Gian Piero Gasperini and Claudio Ranieri finally spilled into the open, resulting in both Ranieri and Ricky […]
With just five matches remaining in the 2025-26 Serie A season, time is running short for the Giallorossi to improve their table position and secure European qualification for the 2026-27 centennial season. While all Romanisti would’ve loved to see Roma playing in Europe’s elite competition during such a historic season in the club’s history, Champions […]
After returning to the Roma bench for the third time last fall, Claudio Ranieri faced a nearly unprecedented challenge: pulling the Giallorossi back from the brink of relegation. With the capital club reeling from a horrific start to the season under Daniele De Rossi and Ivan Juric, Roma was hovering three points above the drop […]
[The following is a guest post from Zach Lowy of Breaking the Lines. For more of Zach’s work, be sure to follow him on social media] It has been a mixed start to spring for Roma. After a dismal March, which saw them lose to Genoa and Como and get bounced out of the UEFA Europa […]
If Gian Piero Gasperini and Roma stand any chance at closing the five-point gap and overtaking Juventus for 4th place on the table, they will need all hands on deck; no easy feat for the Giallorossi. Whether you believe Trigoria was built on sacred ground as is now cursed or that Roma’s medical staff are […]
If you listened to the commentary during yesterday’s match without knowing who the opponent was, you might not have noticed any difference. Roma’s 1-1 draw with Atalanta was more of the same for Roma; another disappointing performance against one of Italy’s top teams. That’s not to dismiss their effort—they fired 18 shots on goal, after […]
Engulfed by their usual storms of injuries and off-the-pitch drama, Roma welcomed Atalanta to the Stadio Olimpico today for a critical Round 33 fixture. To be fair, nearly every match over the past three months has been critical for the Giallorossi. With no room for error in their desperate chase for a spot in next […]
Roma’s on-again, off-again Champions League pursuit has found new life over the past week. Thanks to consecutive losses by our friends in Como, Roma enters today’s Round 33 fixture against Atalanta with a chance to move past Como in the standings and into fifth place. And, if Juventus falls to Bologna on Sunday, the Giallorossi […]
“Yes, sometimes there are internal conversations and debates, but that’s quite normal. In this case, Wesley feels he can play, because he’s incredibly willing. He wants to be able to play. He can run, sprint and shoot, but the medical department believes, perhaps rightly, I don’t know, that there are risks or they don’t want […]
For quite a long time (or maybe it’s just felt incredibly long to me), it’s felt like Roma’s season was collapsing under the weight of its own contradictions. Como, an opportunistic and annoyingly resilient side backed by the richest owners in Italy, seemed poised to turn Roma’s recent stumbles into something more permanent. And yet, […]
Prior to the New Year, Roma’s defense was the strongest and most reliable in Italy, ranking among Europe’s best. However, in recent weeks, that reputation has significantly declined as the Giallorossi have conceded numerous goals: three against Juve, two each against Genoa and Como, and five against Inter. Yes, they kept clean sheets against Lecce […]
While your typical football club can’t match the sheer depth of an NFL roster, where nearly 50 players suit up every Sunday, among the two dozen or so men lucky enough to don the giallo e rosso each season, there is tremendous variety: in roles, attitudes, skills, and potential. From virtuosos to role players and […]
At some point over the last week, the conversation around Roma has drifted away from what’s actually happening on the pitch (largely a disappointment for the season) and toward something far more seductive: the idea that there’s a growing rift between Gian Piero Gasperini and Claudio Ranieri, that disagreements over squad management and long-term planning […]
While Sinners & Saints can produce controversial selections, I can assure you that each selection is carefully weighed and considered, especially when Lorenzo Pellegrini or Bryan Cristante is involved! All kidding aside, every edition of S&S includes at least one or two players I agonize over as I try to parse the ambiguity of match […]
After last weekend’s demoralizing 5-2 loss to Inter Milan at the San Siro, which was preceded by Italy’s failure to qualify for the World Cup for the third straight time, there wasn’t much joy in the Eternal City. Still, despite that ugly loss to Inter, Roma remained in the thick of a three-team race for […]
After last weekend’s debacle against Inter Milan at the San Siro, Roma takes center stage today as the host of 20th-place Pisa at the Stadio Olimpico, the league’s only Friday fixture in Round 32. While Roma remains mathematically alive in the chase for fourth place, thanks to that 5-2 loss to Inter Milan, the Giallorossi […]
“I think [Gianluca] Mancini will be back as early as next week. I hope Wesley will be as well – they’re both progressing positively. The injuries they suffered were less serious. As for [Paulo] Dybala, he’s doing pretty decently, but his situation is less predictable. I’d give him a week or two. The injuries that […]
Given Roma’s highly-publicized goal of qualifying for the Champions League next season, any missteps along the way, especially those as embarrassing and potentially damaging as the club’s 5-2 loss to Inter Milan on Sunday, were bound to have consequences. Instead of a quick, decisive blow, Roma’s likely failure to qualify for Europe’s top club competition […]
When I first realized that today’s match against Inter Milan fell on Easter Sunday, I was torn: Should I skip the festivities to watch the game, follow it on my phone while listening to my aunts talk about their flowers, or ignore it altogether? Luckily, besides picking up some useful gardening tips, I decided to […]