Roma Ritiro Cut Short; Protests Planned

Ritiro Ceased

I don’t know if any loss by Roma this season can be considered shocking, but Wednesday’s loss at Viktoria Plzen was at least mildly surprising. With the loss, Roma now has only three wins in its last 11 matches in all competitions. After yet another negative result, it probably would’ve been no surprise to see the team locked away at Trigoria through the weekend. Instead, the the indefinite ritiro will be ended on Thursday after training.

After returning from the Czech Republic late Wednesday, the squad slept at the Roma training complex yet again. In spite of the loss though, management and Eusebio Di Francesco have come to the decision to end the lock down. This move is in line with that of the players wishes.

Tifosi to Protest Sunday

After yet another demoralizing result to a team considered inferior, Romanisti are understandably very agitated. Thus, the decision was made even before the announcement to the end of the ritiro by groups of tifosi to protest the team. According to Gazzetta dello Sport, it is expected that there will be protests at the Olimpico to voice displeasure at the club’s current state.

According to the report, it looks like the protests, for the time being, will not be focused on the technical aspects of the game. Rather, it is presumed that the majority of the contesting from the Curva Sud will be directed at EdF, Monhci, and especially, James Pallotta. The fans feel that it is the handling of the club by the front office that has Roma looking like the shell of a team that reached the Champions Leagie semifinals just eight short months ago. Yesterday in Plzen, a banner was flown in the Roma section reading “Pallotta Go Home”. There’s no question that there should be plenty with a similar message on Sunday.

That is not to say that the players are not being held culpable too, as whistles rang down on them from the traveling supporters at the end of the match. And it was Kostas Manolas, who wore the captain’s armband in Plzen, that went to the fans to absorb the brunt of the insults from the fans; as is expected from the captain. The team will certainly need a win to avoid a similar fate from the angry fan base on Sunday.

Monchi Heading to Boston

On Monday, Monchi will head to Boston to meet with President Pallotta. It is expected that the primary reason for the meeting is to hash out a winter tranfer strategy. However, if things don’t improve on the field Sunday against Genoa, the meeting could also revolve around EdF’s future with the club. This is in spite of the public backing that the two have shown the manager in recent weeks.