Roma Managerial Watch Updates: Stefano Pioli

The list of Roma's potential next coach's is a who's who of B+ list coaches. There is no Pep, no Jurgen, no Carletto to be found here. They are the very good coaches, but not one Roma will be muscling off the likes of Chelsea in an attempt to hire. You get seconds until proving capable of deserving top tier tactical talent. Tough cookies.

Near the top of that list is, or was, Stefano Pioli. Both Roma and Napoli, potential coaching vacancies in the summer for vastly different reasons, have been linked. As recently as late last week, he was supposedly a done deal to Roma in the dog days. Or, more likely, Pioli to Napoli after Walter Mazzarri books it to Roma when Cavani is hocked for a small country's GDP. Whatever the case, both of those scenarios are going to be a great deal more difficult now: Pioli inked a contract extension with Bologna today. More to the point, he seems thrilled to be in Bologna.

"I am very happy. I have always maintained that I am happy in Bologna. I really appreciate the club and its fans who have always supported me, even through difficult times.

"I believe strongly in the work we are doing and we want to continue building what we started a year and a half ago. I'm not thinking about anything else but finishing this season strongly and starting work on the next one."

Well, that's one down. Frankly, no Roma fan should not want Pioli as coach considering what he's been able to do to Roma over the past two years. (Or more to the point, what he's forced Roma to do to itself. He's like the grown-up, calcio version of, "Stop hitting yourself in the face. Why are you hitting yourself? Stop hitting yourself.") However, he's not exactly a can't miss or the be-all, end-all to Roma's golden dreams.

Of course, it could just be that Bologna wanted to insert a hefty little buyout clause - that's just theory; the details haven't crossed these eyes yet - in the event that a bigger club does come knocking this summer, since Pioli isn't lacking for suitors according to the gossip pages. Which then leaves less transfer fee for whichever non-defending Brazilian fullback Walter Sabatini fancies next in the summer.

So. You know. Thanks, Bologna.

Nevertheless, this does make Pioli a less likely candidate in the summer. Prandelli in 2014 it is. (Just run with it so you can say, "I knew it!" in 16ish months.)