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Friedkin’s, Pinto not in a hurry regarding Fonseca’s future

John Solano
I

RomaPress – Roma’s pursuit of a top four finish was dealt a serious blow yesterday evening. The Giallorossi fell to Napoli 2-0 and now sit in sixth place in the Serie A table with 50 points.

They’re now five points adrift the fourth and final Champions League place that is currently occupied by Atalanta. Once again, Roma failed to defeat a fellow Serie A heavyweight, which has become a trend under manager Paulo Fonseca. Since arriving in 2019, Roma’s record under Fonseca against Juventus, Inter, Milan, Lazio, Atalanta, and Napoli is: three wins, seven draws, and twelve losses. It’s an extremely worrying sign that was exacerbated by captain Lorenzo Pellegrini’s post-match comments.

The Italian midfielder disagreed with Fonseca’s assertion that Roma lacked the proper attitude in the match. In addition, he pointed out Roma’s lack of pressing in the first half was down to the manager’s game plan.

Furthermore, there is also the need to resolve Fonseca’s contractual situation in the coming weeks. The Portuguese technician’s contract automatically renews if the Giallorossi qualify for the Champions League. However, should Roma fail in their pursuit, there’s a strong chance that he could depart the club when his contract expires in June.

Fonseca’s agent, Marco Abreu, has privately expressed his frustration with the situation involving his client and Roma. He is disappointed by the lack of clarity from the club and believes more should be done publicly to back the manager.

Talks between the sides on a new contract haven’t started because Roma and Pinto are in no rush. They want to see how the situation evolves in the coming weeks despite Abreu pushing for clarity.

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