Yahoo Sports Mediaset: Crossed paths and irony – Pioli a candidate to replace De Rossi at Roma
Daniele De Rossi is under pressure after AS Roma made a poor start to the season, and there could be a very strange crossroads upcoming involving Stefano Pioli.
As Calciomercato.com recall, Roma club eliminated Pioli’s Milan in the quarter-finals of the Europa League last season and it was that result which convinced their management that De Rossi was the right man to take over from José Mourinho long-term, having previously been an interim.
That result led to elimination in the semi-final against Bayer Leverkusen but a good end to the Serie A season saw the Giallorossi finish sixth place in the table to secure qualification for the Europa League. De Rossi was rewarded with a three-year contract until 2027.
However, after just three points in four Serie A games – draws against Genoa, Juventus and Cagliari, plus a defeat against Empoli – there is the feeling that the Roma legend is on rocky ground. He has also had arguments with Bryan Cristante and has clashed with the sporting director Ghisolfi.
There is no ultimatum at the moment, but if the results do not arrive – with home games to come against Udinese, Athletic Bilbao and Venezia – his position could dangerously falter. According SportMediaset, this is where Pioli could come in.
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Pioli is still under contract with the Rossoneri until 2025 and was looked at by Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr, but he would like to stay in Italy and Roma is a project that would intrigue him greatly, especially after having been on the bench of city rivals Lazio and knowing the city.
Pioli’s profile would also be ideal for the politics of the US-owned club: someone happy to work collegially, good with young players and with a proactive style. He is an idea not to be underestimated, if things were to go badly for De Rossi.
