As Roma prepares for the future with Pioli, another big name quietly steps in: what if the bench waltz brings surprises from another major team in our league?
Roma, per Pioli non sei sola: spunta un’altra big a sorpresa (Foto: Ansa) – serieanews.com
There is a time of year, between the end of March and the beginning of summer, when benches begin to shake even without any apparent jolt. Presidents remain silent, coaches pretend nothing is happening, but everyone knows that the real calls, the ones that decide seasons, are already being made.
And so, in between denials, what is now a genre unto itself in Serie A takes shape: the bench waltz.
In this dance, Roma moved elegantly. No hysterical moves, no TV show casting. After Ivan Juric’s brief (and short-lived) interlude, Claudio Ranieri arrived, with a clear task: to put things in order, save the day, and — above all — help choose the next coach. Said and done.
For weeks, Ranieri did what he does best: he patiently observed, talked to players, studied the context. He wasn’t just interested in winning a few games and saying goodbye: he wanted to figure out who could really take his place without blowing it. And in the end he seems to have decided on a profile he knows well: Stefano Pioli.
A choice that surprises only those with short memories. Because Pioli, behind that mild air, is someone who has been able to lead a group with personality even in the worst of times. He brought home a Sscudetto with Milan, held together a tattered team, enhanced youngsters and managed old glories. In short, a guy who could handle Roma just fine.
Of course, he was not the only one on the list. Ranieri also pondered Gian Piero Gasperini, a coach with spectacular soccer but an edgy character. And on Roberto Mancini, who, however, faded almost immediately. Other, even more intriguing names have also passed: Farioli, for example, remains an intriguing idea but perhaps still immature for a square like Rome.
Pioli nome nuovo per la Roma, ma attenzione al Napoli
All decided, then? Not quite. Because Pioli is also liked elsewhere, and for the past few days a track that no one expected has reopened. And it’s not just Juventus, which also thought about it and is thinking about it, but Napoli. Yes, that very Napoli that today has Antonio Conte on the bench, but tomorrow … who knows.
Pioli nome nuovo per la Roma, ma attenzione al Napoli (AnsaFoto) – serieanews.com
The signs are there. Conte would also consider staying, but friction with De Laurentiis is as cyclical as the tides. And the temptation to return to Juventus could reshuffle everything. If so, Napoli would have to start all over again. And who’s been in the notebook for months, never quite cleared? That’s right: Pioli.
In fact, his name was already being considered last year, before the president chose Conte, but this time it is back on the table with more conviction. Pioli is liked for similar reasons to those that convinced Ranieri: experience, balance, ability to give identity in a relatively short time. Plus he knows the league, the pressures, the corporate stakes. That’s no small thing in those parts.
There are other names in Napoli’s deck, too, of course. Gasperini could become more than a suggestion if his cycle in Bergamo really came to an end. And Vincenzo Italiano, who has always been in De Laurentiis’s thoughts, continues to like him, but snatching him from Bologna will not be easy, especially if the Rossoblù were to hit Champions League qualification.
This article Roma, for Pioli you’re not alone: another big surprise pops up appeared in its original version first on SerieANews.
