Italy After losing 1-3 to Milan in round 20 of Serie A, Roma's leadership is said to be dissatisfied with the team's results and performance and is considering firing coach Jose Mourinho.
Roma have failed to win their last three games, losing 1-0 to city rivals Lazio in the quarter-finals of the Italian Cup and drawing 1-1 with Atalanta and losing 3-1 to Milan in Serie A. They have dropped to ninth in Serie A with 29 points, five points behind fourth-placed Fiorentina.
The Italian capital club has reached the Europa League play-offs and is still in contention for a top-four finish in Serie A, but according to Sportmediaset , the board is unhappy with the team's performances and results. Roma's chiefs are also unhappy with Mourinho's inflammatory comments to referees, and are considering the possibility of sacking the "Special One".
Coach Jose Mourinho directs during the Roma - Fiorentina match at Olimpico Stadium, Rome in Serie A on December 10. Photo: AFP
The Portuguese coach also appeared to lose the support of some Roma fans, as he was booed and criticized both before and after the loss to Milan on January 14.
Compared to the same period last season in Serie A, Roma have won nine fewer points, conceded six more goals and won three fewer games. The Italian capital club have also produced a lower expected goals (xG) figure, from 1.51 per 90 minutes last season to 1.37 per 90 minutes this season.
Roma, however, have a similar number of shots on target, averaging 22.7 per 90 minutes last season and 22.8 per 90 this season. Mourinho's side have also completed more passes per 90 minutes, with 372.9 last season and 428.4 this season.
According to Football Italy , the above statistics show that Roma has not declined much compared to last season, but has achieved worse results due to the personnel situation. The Italian capital club is facing an injury storm, when Tammy Abraham and Chris Smalling are out for a long time, while Paulo Dybala often has problems and cannot play regularly.
In the summer of 2023, Roma recruited seven players: Romelu Lukaku, Leandro Paredes, Renato Sanches, Evan Ndicka, Houssem Aouar, Rasmus Kristensen and Sardar Azmoun. Of these, Lukaku and Ndicka are two regular starters. The rest, Paredes and Kristensen, have appeared regularly in recent months but have not left much of an impression. Sanches, Aouar and Azmoun have been lackluster and have not received Mourinho's trust.
Center-back Kristensen failed to keep up with striker Olivier Giroud, who headed the ball close to the goal, raising the score to 2-0 in Milan's 3-1 win over Roma in round 20 of Serie A at San Siro on January 14, 2024. Photo: AFP
Mourinho joined Roma in the summer of 2021 on a contract until the end of the 2023-2024 season. The 60-year-old coach helped Roma win the 2021-2022 Conference League, the maroon team's first title in European competition, reach the Europa League final last season, but lost 1-4 to Sevilla in a penalty shootout and twice finished sixth in Serie A.
According to Sportmediaset , Daniele De Rossi is one of the candidates to replace Mourinho at the end of the season. The 2006 World Cup winner was one of Roberto Mancini's assistants during Italy's Euro 2021 triumph. De Rossi led SPAL in Serie B last season, but was sacked after 17 matches with three wins, eight losses and six draws.
Hong Duy
Source link
Comment (0)