ITALY: FOOTBALL/SOCCER - AS Roma fans worried for their team's future after Claudio Ranieri resigns as coach

Record ID: 575576

  • Title: ITALY: FOOTBALL/SOCCER - AS Roma fans worried for their team's future after Claudio Ranieri resigns as coach
  • Date: 22nd February 2011
  • Summary: NEWSPAPERS PHOTO OF FORMER AS ROMA COACH CLAUDIO RANIERI NEWSPAPER HEADLINE READING: 'ROME, INCREDIBLE DEFEAT: RANIERI RESIGNS, MONTELLA READY TO REPLACE HIM' PHOTO OF AS ROMA CAPTAIN WITH HEADLINE READING 'ROME MADNESS. RANIERI LEAVES'
  • Embargoed: 9th March 2011 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Italy, Italy
  • Country: Italy
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA8L4R6STMW93EG1JQAN1XMNH9W
  • Story Text: AS Roma fans woke up on Monday (February 21) with the bitter news that Claudio Ranieri has resigned as coach of the troubled team after they turned a 0-3 lead into a shock 4-3 loss at Genoa on Sunday (February 20).
    Cash-strapped Roma, in the process of being sold, lost 3-2 at home to Ukraine's Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions league last-16 first leg on Wednesday (February 16).
    Around 200 fans protested at Roma's training ground on Saturday (February 19), throwing flares and firecrackers at the gates before being dispersed by police.
    "I think that his choice of leaving is to make a change and find a solution for this problem", said fan Marco Munoz. "Roma is going down, they need a change, the players need to put in more heart."
    Roma produced a stunning run to finish second in Serie A last term in Ranieri's first season in charge after taking over from Luciano Spalletti. They now lie eighth and have not won in five games in all competitions.
    Rome-born Ranieri has also had a difficult relationship with club captain Francesco Totti, who has played for Roma his whole career and is regarded by fans as the heartbeat of the club.
    "I think there are some problems with the players", said Giorgio Serpi, another disappointed fan living in Rome. "The players are maybe against the coach, they are going against him, and this was the year we could have done something good and fight for the title until the end.
    "If the players would have tried harder maybe things would be better now", said fan Rita Cordelli.
    American consortium Di Benedetto is in exclusive talks to buy the club and reports said they might look to replace the former Valencia and Juventus coach in any case, with Chelsea boss and Roma fan Carlo Ancelotti touted.
    Retired former Roma striker Vincenzo Montella is being mentioned in the media as a potential caretaker but it is unclear who would make the decision given the club's particular circumstances.
    Rosella Sensi remains the president until the side is bought but creditor bank UniCredit has been in de facto control for months as it looks to recoup club debts from a sale which has dragged on and stopped Ranieri buying players in January.
    However, the club hierarchy were already pondering Ranieri's position before he beat them to it and resigned.
    "We want to think about things calmly. We will make a decision with our head," director Gian Paolo Montali had told reporters straight after the Genoa game.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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