Roma crisis deepens

Here's a great overview...


Things at Roma are getting from bad to worse....

After last Sunday`s reported clash between Del Neri and Cassano at
half-time, today there was a double-episode of the "Life at A.S. Roma"
soap-opera.

First....FRANCO BALDINI (Roma`s equivalent of Moggi) handed in his
resignation this morning. No reason was given for this (or at least I
didn`t read it anywhere), but President Sensi didn`t accept the resignation
in respect to the man himself and to the work he has done...

Secondly....there was a HUGE outburst by coach Del Neri in the pre-CL game
press-conference in which the main target was Cassano.

It started when Del Neri announced that Cassano will not form part of the
squad for the game against Bayer Leverkusen tomorrow. When asked by the
journalists why the player was not called up, Del Neri answered as follows
: " Totti and Montella are Roma`s attackers now. Want me to explain why ?
One has scored 8 goals, the other has scored 6. In this moment, Cassano`s
place is at home. It is a technical decision. I am the coach and not a
director (administrator).

The journalists replied that Cassano is one of the best attackers in
Italy....and Del Neri, very angry responded " You say that he is a
resource, but this has to be seen. Right now we are playing with two
attackers. If Cassano scores, he is better than the others, if he doesn`t
he is not better than the others. Nobody can say that he is superior"

"But will you have a discussion with the Sensi family about Cassano ?"
insisted the journalists. "But what discussions ? Not calling up Cassano is
my right" replied Del Neri.

"But he wasn`t even useful for the bench" asked the journalists. " At the
moment no, not even for the bench. I don`t care. I can`t make a press
conference about the game and a press conference about Cassano. I want to
talk about the Champions League game....if not I can just as well walk out"
replied Del Neri.


In my opinion, this is a situation which had been waiting to explode for
quite some time. Its an open secret that Baldini and Sensi are not on the
same wavelength as they were in the past seasons. Baldini, after years of
defending Sensi`s anti-north (and anti-Juve) policy in public and in press
conferences - practically he was always the main spokesperson who had to
relay the message of his president - is not very happy that Sensi is all of
a sudden close to Juve and very close to GEA. In fact, Prandelli is a
GEA-managed coach....and although he isn`t the root cause of the problem,
it was already not so nice that Roma had to negotiate with Moggi Jr. After
Prandelli had to leave and Voeller left....the "new" coach was yet another
one managed by GEA - Del Neri.....and apart from having to negotiate again
with Moggi Jr, this time Baldini was also forced to give in to the Del
Neri`s request of a two-year contract. The "friendly" reciprocal statements
between Moggi and Sensi, together with Moggi`s words that his son is ready
to take Baldini`s job at Roma were probably the final spark. No wonder that
when most of Italy praised Roma`s performance against Juve, Baldini came
out saying that the players played without character and without fighting
spirit....he probably expected the game to turn into a sort of mini-war
just like the fans hoped....so he took the occasion to sing to the fans`
tune and inspire them to last Sunday`s protests (there was even a streamer
at one of the curva`s reading "Andate tutti alle Juve" - "You can all go to
Juve"). Baldini probably didn`t like the fair-play shown by the players on
the pitch, the fact that Emerson and Totti shaked hands after a tackle,
that Cassano went to Emerson after the game to excuse himself for causing
the sending off, and that the Roma bench gave Emerson the bottle of water.

Most probably now we will soon start reading in the Roma press that this
all part of a diabolic plan : Del Neri - a GEA man of Moggi Jr - is doing
this to Cassano to drive him out of the club and out of favour with the
fans so that he will prepare the way for Cassano to join Juventus - managed
by Moggi Sr !

 

As a Juventino I DO NOT want Cassano at Juve. I've been complaining about his attitude since his days at Bari.


ps - thanks for the compliment bobarino