Chiesa Di Totti - The Return of Luciano SpallettiCautiously Optimistic Since 2007https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48469/totti-fave.png2016-01-16T00:30:02+01:00http://www.chiesaditotti.com/rss/stream/105213552016-01-16T00:30:02+01:002016-01-16T00:30:02+01:00Spalletti Speculations: What Now?
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<p>Now that Roma and Luciano Spalletti have reunited, what can we expect on the pitch? Which player stands to benefit the most?</p> <p>Now that the speculation is over and Luciano Spalletti is a Roma manager once more, I thought it would be a good idea to gather the crew together and ask: now what? Now that James Pallotta has his man, how will Roma change? What makes us so sure that the Spalletti-Roma marriage will work the second time around?</p>
<h5>Okay, let your heart soar. What were your initial thoughts/feelings when you heard that Luciano Spalletti was returning to Roma?</h5>
<p><b>Bren: </b>As I'm writing this, Spalletti is still in Miami, so I'm trying to restrain myself until its officially official, but suffice to say, I'm pretty stoked. Spalletti was the man in charge when I first became a serious fan of this club, so it definitely resurrected a few memories. Beyond that, and more importantly, I think he's the right man for the job--the right tactics and the right temperament. This isn't merely a feel good reunion; Spalletti is the best man for the job.</p>
<p><b>NANF: </b>Happiness, it is like rekindling a fire with an old flame, any of the negative thoughts I had when he first left have simply vanished, only the good memories remain. I am actually looking forward to Sunday, it isn't just another day in the week anymore. For ninety minutes I can forget about everything else and get back to Roma.</p>
<p><b>Kevin: </b>What a time to be alive, I never thought I would see Spalletti return to Roma! Like Bren, I first became a serious fan of the club during TGIP's first reign. While the marriage may have only lasted four years the first time (granted that's a lifetime for a Roma manager), both parties seem to have changed, which bodes well for the future.</p>
<p><b>masonio: </b>I've had modest chest pains for about 24 hours now. There's a lump in my throat and a knot or three in my tummy. I feel sick but the good kind or at least, the only kind people sick in the head would feel good about.</p>
<p><b>Dhaw: </b><a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/bf/0d/11/bf0d11c57e9a9d6f6e737d2149c8ec6d.jpg">This</a></p>
<p><b>Sam: </b>When the rumour morphed into a probably reality I was as excited as a puppy that had just burst into a cupboard full of shoes. My favourite Roma memories are tied to Luciano and I am positively giddy when I think about the sort of football he is going to get Roma to play. It is also equally a massive relief that we didn't go for Conte and that Roma has a chance to win back the cynical and disgruntled.</p>
<p><b>JonAS</b>: I felt all fuzzy and dizzy inside, a bit warm too. Reminded me of my first visit to this site called po..... errrr, political-intelligence.com. Yeah, I was immediately sold. Most of all because I can lively remember the Spalletti era. Simply put: It was a good time to be a Giallorosso, more of the same please!</p>
<p> </p>
<h5>Alright, so what should we expect in the short term? What will be the biggest difference on the pitch or in the locker room?</h5>
<p><b>Bren</b>: This one is a bit harder to nail down because, as we saw against <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/serie-a/teams/genoa">Genoa</a>, the players clearly loved <span>Rudi Garcia</span>, but Spalletti has a standing relationship and respect with the men that matter most, <span>Daniele De Rossi</span> and <span>Francesco Totti</span>. Besides, once the other key players (Nainggolan, Pjanic and Florenzi) realize how he'll up their game, everything should hopefully be gravy.</p>
<p><b>NANF: </b>No expectations only love, love every minute of it because there is a good chance this is the last time we are ever going to witness this. Win, lose, or draw it is going to be magical.</p>
<p><b>Kevin: </b>I think every team that jettisons a manager mid campaign receives an injection of life from the new manager, so we should definitely expect a boost on the pitch. It's harder to say how the locker room will react, but it's helpful that Spalletti already has established relations with Daniele De Rossi and Francesco Totti.</p>
<p><b>masonio: </b>Magic. That is my only expectation. One of the biggest differences for me will be that Roma will be watchable again. And I mean that in the least exaggerated sense. Roma will be alive.</p>
<p><b>Dhaw:</b> Putting the Magic back in La Maggica. One game at a time.</p>
<p><b>Sam: </b>Don't get too hung up on the results, I am over the moon that Totti's twilight will not be wasted and that we can be excited about Roma matches again.</p>
<p><b>JonAS</b>:Less boredom, more spectacle. Enough of those ugly 1-1 draws, if we go down it want it to be as a group, as a pack of wolves. Also, I expect a lot more direct play and less ball possession, more movement and ideas, especially in midfield. Now this is where Florenzi, Falque and Radja come in, three very dynamic and versatile midfielders. I'm excited to see what Luciano has got in store for them.</p>
<p> </p>
<h5>If we look back at Spalletti's initial Roma stint, what must he do differently to put Roma over the top, or will the increased stability be enough to cure his previous shortcomings?</h5>
<p><b>Bren</b>: Hmm, I guess your answer to this one depends on what you viewed as the cause for his downfall lo those many years ago. Did he simply run out of steam, did his tactics and voice turn stale, or was he a victim of Roma's perpetual uncertainty during that era? More than anything else, he needs to be flexible, tactically and personnel wise, but his ability to understand and adapt to Italian football is leaps and bounds ahead of anyone the club has head since the American takeover.</p>
<p><b>Kevin: </b>The stability of the American regime will fix some of Spalletti's shortcomings, but likely not all of them. The rest depends on how much he's grown since leaving Roma; the best managers are always growing and evolving.</p>
<p><b>masonio: </b>I'm of the opinion that he did do no wrong. It wasn't perfect or flawless but I never questioned switching from football to hockey as my primary sport to watch. Every cycle comes to an end and so shall this one hopefully when the time is right.</p>
<p><b>Dhaw:</b> Not be as nice as he has been before. Lay down some rules and make the little crybabies of ours follow it. Work on the mentality and improve it one game at a time. The onus is also on the players now. They have to stand up and make it count or else some of them can follow Rudi out of the door.</p>
<p><b>Sam: </b>I'm of the opinion that Spalletti was more a victim of the dodgy player sales and squabbling boardroom rather than anything he did coaching wise. Fingers crossed he can develop a solid relationship with Jimmy and the new DS (already calling it), so that he can produce a team without compromises.</p>
<p><b>NANF: </b>The increased stability should be a major factor.</p>
<p><b>JonAS</b>: Agreed. Under the Sensi's is what sometimes chaotic but these Americans want results and look at the big picture. The difference will be the financial section: Spal already has a big striker and aerial threat in Dzeko, while Stroot, Radja, Castan, Pjanic, Morgan and Salah were all magnificent buys since US and A took over. Spal won't ask for a Ronaldo, Neuer or Iniesta, Roma can't compete with the really big ones. But I reckon he wants better things than a Gyomber, Emerson or Vainqueur.</p>
<p> </p>
<h5>Which player stands to benefit most from Spalletti's tactics and management?</h5>
<p><b>Bren</b>: I mean, take your pick, right? But it absolutely has to be <span>Alessandro Florenzi</span>, doesn't it? <span>Simone Perrotta</span> said it himself several years ago, he's a younger and more clinical version of Roma's famous #20. I can easily see his standing with club and country increasing due to Spalletti--simply having a steady role is enough of a reason to think Florenzi will flourish. I also think Digne could be MASSIVE under Spalletti, so I'll be watching loan closely over the summer.</p>
<p><b>Kevin: </b>Of players currently on the Roma roster, Alessandro Florenzi would benefit the most for the reasons Bren mentioned above. I would be curious to see what Spalletti does with <span>Leandro Paredes</span> and Antonio Sanabria as well, but we'll have to wait until next year to see that.</p>
<p><b>masonio: </b>Totti, since he'll play. Maybe Dzeko, maybe current fringe players like Salih if they are given more chances. Paredes after the summer. Everyone should. But seriously, Paredes.</p>
<p><b>Dhaw:</b> Radja. He'll be damn important under Luciano. Important piece of his puzzle.</p>
<p><b>Sam: </b>Dzeko stands out for me, as he always wished for someone like the big Bosnian during his last reign. Of course seeing Totti sitting behind him should give everyone else on the park a boost as well.</p>
<p><b>NANF: </b>Echoing Masonio's and Sam's thoughts on Totti, although all of our attack should benefit greatly.</p>
<p><b>JonAS</b>: I'm going for a surprising name this time: De Sanctis. Spalletti never got the trustworthy keeper he deserved (Doni? Curci? Zotti? Pipolo? Arthur?). In Morgan Batman now he finally has an Italian commanding keeper in goal, with a lot of presence. I doubt he'll choose for Woj.</p>
<p> </p>
<h5>We've still got a few weeks left in the winter transfer market, what does Spalletti need (in terms of acquisitions) to ensure Roma a top three finish this season?</h5>
<p><b>Bren</b>: I think it's a simple as getting some depth behind <span>Lucas Digne</span>, Miralem Pjanic and the central defense, of course, out and out upgrades would be fantastic. But if we look at the early names connected to us--De Sciglio, Adriano and Lorenzo Tonelli--its clear that he or they realize the defense must be addressed. Id also continue my stumping for <span>Davide Santon</span> and <span>Cyril Thereau</span>, both of whom would provide depth and flexibility to Spalletti's bench.</p>
<p><b>Kevin: </b>An upgrade on the defensive front. Roma should sign at least one more centre back (not necessarily of starting caliber) and one right back (of starting caliber). If that happens, I think Spalletti can finish top three this season.</p>
<p><b>masonio: </b>Defensive depth and perhaps a creative forward if Gervinho leaves.</p>
<p><b>Dhaw:</b> Defenders.</p>
<p><b>Sam: </b>An actual Serie A quality defence. I think the rest is more or less capable of producing results over the short term.</p>
<p><b>NANF: </b>Shed the dead weight and bring in a right back, although I wouldn't be surprised if Maicon found his way back into the lineup under Spalletti.</p>
<p><b>JonAS</b>: A RB, since Florenzi's now a true midfielder again and Torosidis is over the hill. A LB to give Digne a breather (he'll probably leave in June as well now that Rudi is gone so best make it a starting LB like Criscito or Adriano). Benatia fits Luciano's style too. If he's too expensive, go for Tonelli from <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/serie-a/teams/empoli">Empoli</a>. And if it's possible, recall Paredes in case Pjanic has one of his usual dips during the second part of the season.</p>
<p> </p>
<h5>Okay, fast forward to the summer. Heading into his first full season, give us a couple players (realistic ones) that are ideally suited to Spalletti's tactics?</h5>
<p><b>Bren</b>: Hmm, well I still maintain they MUST bring Digne back, but the rest of the market will depend on several things, namely, will they have a spot in the Champions League next year and what will Spalletti do with Dzeko? There are rumblings that Edinson Cavani wants out of PSG...me wanty. But I'd settle for a Mehdi Benatia return, and if Pjanic is sacrificed, Leandro Paredes could be an ideal and cheap replacement, one who could flourish with Baldy.</p>
<p><b>masonio: </b>Leandro Paredes, Lucas Digne if they can keep him, <span>Kevin Strootman</span> if one can dream. Wait, you meant non-Roma players? Umm, I'm kind of extremely out of the loop with football and transfer situations (thank you Roma) but if Axel Witsel can be brought from Zenit I think it would be a coup.</p>
<p><b>Dhaw: </b>Sirigu, Criscito. I have been wanting Criscito for 2 years now, it will be fantastic to have him this time around under Luciano. I'd also like to see Adem or Iturbe come back and play under Luciano. I think they will flourish.</p>
<p><b>Sam: </b>I'd love to see Lavezzi streaming forward under Luciano. Paredes and Strootman are obvious candidates and then just for fun I'll say Eriksen.</p>
<p><b>NANF: </b>Make it the summer of reunions, bring back Benatia.</p>
<p><b>JonAS</b>:I already mentioned Benatia and Paredes. I'd ship Woj out and go for Perin or Sirigu while Ljajic might be tempted to go back and enjoy life under Poobah's regime. Glik or Peres from <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/serie-a/teams/torino">Torino</a> for the defence. One name I also want to point out is Mertens from <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.thesirenssong.com/">Napoli</a>. Hugely underrated but a damn fine winger. If Dzeko doesn't work out under Spal, go Belgian and aim for Lukaku. And I still got a soft spot for that other Belgian, the player from my home town, Jan Vertonghen from Tottenham.</p>
<p> </p>
<h5>Speaking of which, will Walter Sabatini be the one brokering the deals come June?</h5>
<p><b>Bren</b>: I certainly hope not. His time has also come.</p>
<p><b>Kevin: </b>I would be surprised.</p>
<p><b>masonio: </b>It doesn't look likely. But if not him, then who?</p>
<p><b>Dhaw:</b> He should get far far away from Roma when summer arrives. Done with him.</p>
<p><b>Sam: </b>No.</p>
<p><b>NANF: </b>Outlook not so good.</p>
<p><b>JonAS</b>: I'll say one thing: the heavy fog around Rome should be gone come July.</p>
<p>Thats it for now. Just 48 more hours.</p>
https://www.chiesaditotti.com/2016/1/16/10773022/spalletti-roma-tacticsbrenDhawJonAS RomaSam Strayamasoniono apple no fiestavote4kevin2016-01-15T09:32:11+01:002016-01-15T09:32:11+01:00The Symphony Of The Holy War
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<p>Several months ago, long before fantasy flirted carelessly with feasibility, a vow was made; one man and there would be one more time. Hello, then. </p> <p>Do you remember? Do you remember the first moment you could hear your own heart beating? An equilibrium finding balance upon dueling peaks of ecstasy and terror. The thrill of virgin heights, chemicals surging through your brain, galloping through space grasping for the unknown, a saucer-eyed specimen of excitability and intrigue. The fear as waves of blood cascade through your body, a crashing red sea ready to assume your holy vessel with no call for mercy, the cacophonic reverberation in your ears a requiem for your indifference. This thundering symphony is an affirmation of your very existence, a physiological reconciliation of your presence in this mortal realm, played by an orchestra conducted at the frantic behest of your soul.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Play on, dear maestro. Please do play on.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Maybe you know. Maybe you remember. Maybe it was standing high atop a cliff, jagged protrusions of mother nature beckoning below, echoing your name in chilling silence, a slight of fabric your only god. Maybe it was aside a hospital bed, two hands as one, the soft warmth of one, the hard chill of the other, an unstoppable mercury indicating a slow slip into an eternal solitude. Maybe the letter came and your heart lifted high into your chest as though it'd grown paper wings, ready to defy physics in order to lift you up to the heavens. Maybe, with your lips wrapped around the barrel of the gun, you could taste the afterworld, its flavorful essence so cruelly defined by the salt of your own tears. Maybe you were a child, a protective bubble of innocence leaving you entombed, knowing neither its form nor function. Maybe it was the first time she walked in the room, or maybe it was the first time he said your name. Maybe you repressed it until couples therapy unearthed the toxicity a few decades later. Maybe the drugs were so good, the dragon was chasing you. Maybe it was sadness, or fear, or joy. Maybe.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Maybe you've never heard it.; allow me to offer my sincerest condolences. Or maybe, just maybe, it happens often. Maybe you're cursed with it; afflicted by an endless capacity to care, humanity's emotional burden assumed by an anointed army of one. Fight on, dear soldier. Fight on.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I remember. Suffice it to say, I remember. And I remember wanting it again.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Something happened with this club. I stopped watching. Maybe a year ago, maybe longer. I don't recall because I don't care. Life got in the way, sure. Fewer weekends, more airports. I was busy. I stopped waking up for matches somewhere along the line. I turned off my alarm. I think it was my alarm, anyway; the incessant pings somewhere above me putting a crashing halt to my weary-eyed slumber. I had to use a calendar. A fucking calendar. Christ, am I an adult now? My parents must be so disappointed. On that calendar was "stuff." There were also matches. Thirty-eight and then some. I blocked those off for awhile, but then I began overlapping "events." I began ignoring those yellow blocks. I began put notes in my events. <i>What the fuck happened to me. </i>That should be italicized backwards as to emphasize my befuddlement, as though I'm holding my hair back. Fuck your lack of wit, hyper text. Occasionally I made others wait for me, not knowing they were waiting for Roma, and I canceled a few meetings here and there for the big ones, but it didn't take long for that to end either. Derbies, sure, but life had taken a turn. Eventually I just stopped setting my alarm. Roma was lost to me, and I was lost to it. I didn't care. I simply didn't care. They'd lost me. I'd grown up, but they lost me. I don't root for polyester - no one roots for polyester. I don't root for anyone, for that matter - I fall. I fall for an entity. I fall for an anthropomorphic encapsulation of values. I fall in love. And I had been in love. But I changed. She changed. We grew apart. It happens. She was different and I was different. It just happens. Sadness existing only in the complete absence of it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>But I remember. Oh, how I once loved them.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Falling in love is one of the most terrifying annexes of the human condition. It is to remove one's own heart, watching, gazing as its walls morph into the thinnest of glass, every harrowing beat threatening to shatter this mystic muscle, place it upon a table, and with trembling hands, offer another human being a hammer. Do you understand what courage that takes? Do you? Stand back. Wait. Love. Fear. Live. Ask them to protect it. Trust this entombment of human fallibility to be your guardian. Allow another to become a permanent extension of yourself. Tremble in the culmination of them all. Tremble because it is war with reason, with logic, with everything wise and sensible in this world. It is to know that you incur the wrath of ultimate suffering; to know that if that hammer is swung, every fiber of your being will shatter along with that glass; to know that you may pick up the pieces, but you can never really get them all; to know that inevitably, you will never be truly whole again. It is to dance most dangerously with fate, but it is the most worthy dance of all, because love is the only thing in this mortal world worth both living for and dying for.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>And somewhere, someone just handed all of our glass hearts to one Luciano Spalletti...once again.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Surely in a city so rich of lore there exists an epic which this parallels. An easy metaphor. Something grossly cliched. Must be. Something along the lines of.... In a land unknown there exists a temple so high that upon breaking through the clouds, it is still a day's march up through the heavens to the top. Up the crumbling steps stomp the masses, legs weakened, lungs heaving, glass hearts at the ready, their chest cavities a black hole, an abyss into which all is lost. Atop this temple there lies an overturned golden shield, and one by one they will place their glass hearts atop this shield, each still beating to its own rhythm. For days they will march up, and days again back down. When the last follower has departed the very first step, masses circling the base of the temple, one man emerges from the crowd. His black cloak and a torso fully intact indicate he is a man not of the masses, but of the order. He will march the same steps, one by one, just as the others, because many years ago, he had become one of them too. At the summit he too shall reach in and cut out his own heart, the blood coursing just as that of the followers, equal parts red, equal parts yellow, and atop the shield it shall go. Alongside it, he shall offer something more: his legacy. The lore of years past, the romanticism it still elicits, his great sacrifice. Before he begins to walk down those steps, he will not be passed a torch, but handed a giant hammer. Their fate in his hands.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Soon, the hearts beating of countless individuals begin to quiet. Soon, one heartbeat begins to drown out the rest. And soon, they begin to follow suit until every last glass heart beats to the rhythm of his, thundering through the heavens, spurring him on to war. Infinite hearts in a symphonic cadence of one.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Fall to your knees. Pray to your god. Pray to your god because we are at the precipice of the holiest of wars: love. Our hearts once belonged to this entity driven by him, but somewhere along the line he became one of us, and now his sits along with ours atop that giant shield, ready to live in glory or go out on it. But no matter what fate befalls us, we will dance; oh, how we will dance. We will gaze aloft as our dissociated hearts dance with us. Know that you will become intimate with the full spectrum of human emotion. Become your fear embrace in the beauty of living once again, because the maestro plays for us now, just as he played once before.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Win, and we shall dine eternally on ecstasy; win, and the skies will light fires in his name. Lose, and you will suffer boundlessly; lose, and you will never be whole again. But we will have danced. Oh, how we will have danced.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Let the symphony of your own heartbeat echo in your ears. Do you hear it? It is the sound of the greatest gift this world can offer.</p>
<p> </p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 100%;"> </p>
<p>This is to fall in love all over again.</p>
https://www.chiesaditotti.com/2016/1/15/10774270/the-symphony-of-the-holy-warMarten Portoise2016-01-14T22:00:02+01:002016-01-14T22:00:02+01:00Totti Today #73: A Letter to Luciano
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<p>Time to get nostalgic people. At long last, the Poobah returns to Rome after an almost five and a half years absense, so it’s only natural I write a fitting (love) letter. Welcome back Luciano, Rome hasn’t been the same since you left…</p> <p>Dear Luciano,</p>
<p>Hi, how are you? It's been a while, no? You won't probably recognize me after all these years. I was just one of the thousands of young tifosi who fell in love with you, in a totally heterogenous way by the way. Not that there is anything wrong with bald people. Sure, they might look angry or stern but the inside is what coun.... Ahem, we're disgressing...</p>
<p>So, how long as it been? More than 5 years? Ah September 2009, now I remember. People usually bear in mind the bad periods of a trainer but in your case the positive ones definitely outweigh the negative ones. Just look at all the joy you brought back to the city during your stay. Before your arrival, no one would have even dared to dream of a Coppa, Supercoppa or Champions League quarter-final.</p>
<p>After a horrible 04-05 season in which Voeller, Conti and Del Neri all sat on the Roma bench and desperatly tried to work something out for Roma, you entered the fray and immedialty shook things up. And you never looked behind. Three consecutive second places (granted, in a post-Calciopoli era in Serie A), two Coppe Italia and some memorable nights in Europe. 2008-2009 was perhaps a letdown but let's not forget you didn't really get help from our sporting director back then: Diamoutene, Motta and Pit were brought in during the Winter Mercato. Good grief, if that happened now under American ownership, there would be riots in the streets of Rome AND New York.</p>
<p>Well, uh, I guessed I scared you, didn't I? Yup, you read that right, American ownership. The Sensi's are nothing more but a far, distant memory. Try to not be overwhelmed once you return, only Daniele and Totti remain from your era. Everything else: gone. New owners, new rules. It's called Brand Roma, better get used to it.</p>
<p>That's why we longed so much for your comeback. It's all been so... dull and boring. Okay, Ranieri was fun while it lasted but after that... Luis Enrique and his Barcelona experiment, the Zeman gamble, the gray Andreazzoli and derby loss in the Coppa Italia final... And then <span>Rudi Garcia</span>, the Frenchman. Your predecessor. Boy, did he leave his mark in Rome, in a both good and bad way. The start was great and refreshing but it all went downhill so very fast.</p>
<p>I especially missed the fun factor in Rome. The simple things that were executed so damn well on the pitch. Players fighting for each other. Or the man love after a goal. Gone. You had the talent of making average or less flashy footballers rise above themselves and even compete with the biggest and best players of the league or even Europe. Perrotta, Tonetto, Taddei, Cassetti,... God knows what you could have achieved in those years if you got more financial freedom and players like Strootman, Benatia, Pjanic, Lamela or Marquinhos.</p>
<p>Well, no use crying over spilt milk I know... Yet, all of this is in the past. Now, now is time to finish what you started. To undo previous mistakes, to finally have a say in our transfer strategy. To continue building your legacy in Rome. To make the people find their way back to the Olimpico once again.</p>
<p>You did it before, you can do it again. The younger fans will be in for a treat. Zeman was nostalgia, yet a huge gamble. But you my dear man, you are not a gamble. I can feel it. Your smile on recent pictures dont't lie: you're as motivated as ever, there's mutual understanding. In other words: You are home. Finally.</p>
<p>Let Florenzi become your Taddei, Pjanic your Pizarro, make Radja your Perrotta, make Salah your Mancini, mold Castan into your Juan and Manolas into Mexes.</p>
<p>But more importantly: make Daniele and Totti your generals on and off the pitch. They know and understand the influence you had on the history of <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.chiesaditotti.com/">AS Roma</a>, the importance of your comeback. They need no further explanation. And to know this is only the start of something beautiful, until at least June 2017. And perhaps beyond!</p>
<p>It's time to let the feet do the talking once more. I, Jonas, welcome you, Luciano Spalletti, back in Rome with open arms. I feel so relieved to write this. Thank you, Mister.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It's true what they say, isn't it? Old loves never die</p>
https://www.chiesaditotti.com/2016/1/14/10769808/totti-todayJonAS Roma2016-01-14T18:46:11+01:002016-01-14T18:46:11+01:00Official: Luciano Spalletti Named Roma Manager
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<figcaption>Mike Hewitt/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>He's back!</p> <p>While Roma certainly prefers to drag these things out, I'm certain many of us would've waited an eternity for today's announcement. Following yesterday's official sacking of Rudi Garcia, the club took the next logical step and anointed his successor, Luciano Spalletti.</p>
<p>In typical club fashion, the official release was quick and to the point:</p>
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<p>AS Roma are delighted to announce that Luciano Spalletti has been appointed the club's new head coach," read a club statement on the Lupi's official website.</p>
<p>The 56-year-old Italian arrived today at the club's training ground at Trigoria and has immediately taken charge of the team in advance of the next Serie A match against Verona at Stadio Olimpico on Sunday</p>
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<p>Uncle Jimmy chimed in with his own welcome:</p>
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<p>We are very excited to welcome Luciano Spalletti back to Roma. He is a proven winner with a strong track record of success. We are looking forward to working together to take Roma to where we believe it should be</p>
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<p>After a couple of days jet setting back and forth across the Atlantic, Spalletti is already back at work, running his first training session at Trigoria since 2009, prepping his new squad for their weekend encounter with Hellas Verona. The official club site has plenty of photos up from this mornings session; Luciano's looking good in Nike.</p>
<p>Well, there you have it friends. Soak it in, the moment for which many of us have longed for several years is finally upon us, and for those skeptics among the crowd, give Spalletti some time to readjust to life in Roma and to properly mold the squad in his imagine before you leap to any conclusions.</p>
<p>Either way, its an exciting time in the old city tonight.</p>
https://www.chiesaditotti.com/2016/1/14/10769298/official-luciano-spalletti-named-roma-managerbren2016-01-13T15:13:33+01:002016-01-13T15:13:33+01:00Merci, Rudi
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<figcaption>Giuseppe Bellini/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Rudi Garcia's Roma career came to an ugly end, but that doesn't mean there wasn't beauty within it. We take a moment to thank Garcia for making us believe again. </p> <p>I held out as long as I could, kept telling myself that he had the pedigree, that he was a man on the rise and that eventually he'd figure it all out. The ‘he' in that sentence is, of course, the recently departed Rudi Garcia, Roma's manager for the past 123 competitive matches. Unless you were a devout fan of Ligue 1, Garcia was a bit of an unknown upon his arrival to the Eternal City, but then it happened.</p>
<p>Whether it was due to his player-first attitude, his relaxed style or simply his fresh blood, Garcia's wide open 4-3-3 took the league by storm. Led by a rejuvenated <span>Francesco Totti</span>, the reformed Gervinho and the bulwark defense led by Mehdi Benatia and Leandro Castan, Garcia made perhaps the greatest impression ever, opening the season with ten resounding victories in a row.</p>
<p>Suddenly, the ghosts of May 26<sup>th</sup> were erased and ‘it' finally seemed plausible. Could this mild mannered man from Gaul possibly loosen the Old Lady's stranglehold on the league? Roma's first taste of Garcia was downright euphoric--the team played fast and loose while the defense was impregnable. The only thing that stood in between Garcia and history was Juve's own record breaking season, one in which they lapped the field, topping 100 points on their way to a third consecutive Scudetto.</p>
<p>In any other year and in any other universe, Garcia's storybook ending would have been published without issue. A stranger in a strange land, completely ignorant to the ways of Italian football, and completely unfazed by turbulence surrounding him, taking his club to new heights--winning the Scudetto and completely upsetting the entire power structure of Italian football; the perfect foil for James Pallotta's paradigm shifting plans</p>
<p>And although it didn't happen, we found solace in the fact that Garcia was robbed only by the unyielding and mysterious hand of fate. We resigned ourselves to the fact that it just wasn't our year, but Roma, replete with talent, financial backing, and with depth at nearly every position, was primed for big things in Garcia's second year.</p>
<p>From there, the story becomes more convoluted and confusing. Garcia nearly repeated the feat in the fall of 2014, winning 11 of the first 15 matches, bowling over the competition in the process. However, as fall gave way to winter and the calendar flipped over to 2015, something went awry.</p>
<p>No longer fast and not nearly as furious, Roma began to sputter, drawing eight out of ten matches to start the New Year; blowing leads and dropping points was the order of the day. And yes, there were injuries and Walter Sabatini did him few favors in that winter's transfer market, but no matter what he tried, Roma simply couldn't buck the trend. Victories were replaced with excuses, enthusiasm with animosity.</p>
<p>With the title within reach, every dropped point was like an unreturned text--€”all your hopes and dreams just sitting idly in the ether, desperately awaiting validation before ultimately evaporating and falling unexpectedly into someone else's palm.</p>
<p>Metaphors aside, as the 2014-2015 season slowed to a crawl, a unique inverse relationship reared its ugly head. Slowly but surely, it became clear that the league had figured out Garcia, yet Roma seldom (if ever) fell below second on the table. They figured him out, yet they couldn't truly stop him. Sure, Garcia was good, but was he really good enough?</p>
<p>While it appears as though that answer has been answered in rather convincing fashion, I'm here to tell you, as one of his harshest critics, that it belies the true measure of the man.</p>
<p><span>Rudi Garcia's</span> legacy isn't one of wins and losses, but of transformations. The fact that Garcia leaves Rome in nearly the same shape in which he found it is misleading. Garcia's obituary isn't a tale of beginnings and endings, but rather the spaces in between--the dash on the proverbial epitaph.</p>
<p>In that blank space, Garcia restored our faith--in the club, in its unmistakable aura, and in the dream. No longer was Roma relegated to second best, she could stand toe-to-toe with any despot the north could throw at her.</p>
<p>He may not have ultimately vanquished those foes, but he made us believe it was possible. And for that, I'm eternally grateful.</p>
<p>Merci, Rudi.</p>
https://www.chiesaditotti.com/2016/1/13/10758374/putting-rudi-garcias-time-in-roma-into-perspectivebren2016-01-13T12:18:06+01:002016-01-13T12:18:06+01:00Official: Garcia Sacked as Roma Manager
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<figcaption>Pier Marco Tacca/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Well, it only took four days, but Roma finally and officially announced the sacking of Rudi Garcia, who will be replaced with Luciano Spalletti later this afternoon. </p> <p>Well, it only took, what, four days, but Roma has finally officially announced the sacking of Rudi Garcia as manager of the club. I'm not quite certain why they chose to drag this out so long, it hardly seems fair to Garcia, but the club just released an <a href="http://www.asroma.com/en/news/2016/1/as-roma-confirms-garcia-departure" target="_blank">official statement</a> regarding the coaching change.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>AS Roma confirms that Rudi Garcia, and his assistants Frederic Bompard and Claude Fichaux, will cease to manage its first team with immediate effect.</p>
<p>Garcia, who won Ligue 1 with Lille in 2011, was unveiled as the Giallorossi's new coach on 12 June 2013. He led the team to 10 wins in the first 10 league matches of the 2013-14 season and went on to record consecutive second place finishes in Serie A. Given recent results, however, the club have decided to move in a new direction</p>
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<p>While the time had long since come for a change, you can't help but feel a little bad for Garcia, who was, by all accounts, a good man and certainly one loved by the players. But, as the statement says, this was all about his recent results, which have been poor.</p>
<p>James Pallotta concluded the press release by saying:</p>
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<p>On behalf of myself and everyone at AS Roma, I'd like to thank Rudi Garcia for all of his hard work since joining the club. We've all enjoyed some great moments during his time at Roma but we believe that this is the right time for a change.</p>
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<p>As we expected, Alberto De Rossi will take the reins at today's training while Luciano Spalletti is en route from Miami. We've got plenty more coming about Spalletti's return to Roma, including an official farewell to Rudi Garcia and perhaps, just maybe, the return of another old friend.</p>
https://www.chiesaditotti.com/2016/1/13/10759474/rudi-garcia-officially-sacked-as-roma-managerbren2016-01-12T23:43:16+01:002016-01-12T23:43:16+01:00Spalletti to Sign in the Morning
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<figcaption>Richard Heathcote/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Word is starting to spread, come sunrise, Roma will have a new head coach. Luciano Spalletti is expected to sign an 18 month deal to lead Roma and will be in Trigoria as soon as Thursday.</p> <p>Having Luciano Spalletti fly all the way from Firenze to Miami to negotiate and sign a contract to become Roma's next manager is either stereotypically American or Italian. American in the <i>'you do what I say approach' </i>or Italian in the <i>'none of this makes sense, but we're all excited' </i>sort of way. In any event, the moment we've been losing sleep over for the past 72 hours or so seems all but a certainty once the sun rises tomorrow morning.</p>
<p>According to Sky Sport Italia, and really anyone who has been watching this with baited breath since the weekend, Spalletti is in Miami and has, or soon will, put pen to paper on an 18-month contract, tying him to the Roma bench through the end of the 2017 season.</p>
<p>While he may or may not be bringing Domenico Criscito with him, this much is certain, Garcia is 99.99% done as Roma's head man, as Alberto De Rossi will reportedly take the helm during Wednesday's training session, which, again, why fly Spalletti all the way to Miami and waste 48 hours.</p>
<p>But I digress. If you're wondering my reaction, it's something akin to this:</p>
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<img alt="Jonah Hill reaction" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/WzMB9sflC3fxDC1RFn-kgibNPU0=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/5898963/237.0.gif">
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<p>or this...</p>
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<img alt="Hill react" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/rEIHEBQYH4C6fwOAfkFn3YvcMWE=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/5898969/1057.0.gif">
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<p>or even this...</p>
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<script charset="utf-8" src="//s.imgur.com/min/embed.js"></script>
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<blockquote data-id="njmeFqp" lang="en" class="imgur-embed-pub"><a href="//imgur.com/njmeFqp">View post on imgur.com</a></blockquote>
<p>While the players are probably doing this....</p>
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<p>Again, props to ever made that gif, its the bee's knees. We'll have all the particulars, as well as a legitimate and well-thought out farewell to Rudi as soon as possible.</p>
<p>In the meantime, rejoice!</p>
https://www.chiesaditotti.com/2016/1/12/10757248/roma-will-name-spalletti-coach-tomorrow-morningbren2016-01-12T19:32:21+01:002016-01-12T19:32:21+01:00Garcia to Go, Spalletti is Summoned
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<figcaption>Matthias Hangst/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>CDT'S idiot abroad attempts to justify his outrageous airfare with the inside word on Roma's managerial change.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b>BREAKING NEWS!!!</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">CDT is reporting to you today LIVE from Tuscany, Italy!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">After personally observing the desolation of the Roma tifosi and the scandalous second half performance during the Milan match I have decided to bring the (breathtakingly uneducated) thoughts and opinions of the CDT Church to the gates of Rome.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">After beavering away on a first person perspective of the Roma v Milan match on Saturday night, events have overtaken this Romanistass, putting me on a bus to Tuscany in a half-hearted attempt to provide you with the latest Roma reports.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">What I can comfortably confirm is that all reports in Italy are hands down pointing towards the Grand Imperial Poobah, Luciano Spalletti, usurping the unloved incumbent, Rudi Garcia.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But what I didn’t know, as we go to press (or internet, or whatever the hell the kids call it these days) the bald beauty isn’t actually in Tuscany anymore. Roma’s anointed saviour is on a plane bound for Miami to meet with the suits where he will dot the I’s and cross the T’s on a new contract. Guess I’ll just have to console myself with a couple of litres of chianti.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">All tongue in cheek jokes aside; the conclusion of the Garcia reign has been a catastrophic farce. Rudi, armed with the most obscene contract since Marco Borriello, has fought threw the last few months like the knight in Monty Python’s Holy Grail.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">"I’ll fight you, tis only a flesh wound!" shouts the Frenchmen, as one by one his limbs are lopped off leaving only a torso attached to a foul mouth insulting his enemy combatant walking away in bewilderment.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The latest reports indicate once the paperwork is done, Mr Spalletti will fly to Rome on Thursday morning and immediately supervise training at Trigoria. Whether his contract will be for six months or an additional two years is not known at this stage.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Meanwhile Rudi, for the time being, will continue to be the metaphorical dead man walking at Trigoria. Unbelievably not only did he fly to Switzerland to attend the Ballon d’Or ceremony last night, he actually came back to Trigoria to take training!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The fact that the grand war room meeting occurred in Miami Beach of all places encapsulates the enormous disconnect from Rome that Pallotta has struggled with since assuming command. The last six months has provided a litany of ammunition to the critics of the American regime as they have tiptoed around the elephant in the room at Trigoria that has been stomping on the fine china for the last twelve months.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">At last, Pallotta has taken a firm grip of the Roma reigns and by giving Garcia his marching orders is in a better position to dictate the club’s narrative from here on.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Faced with choices including Spalletti, Sampaoli, Lippi and Conte, the suits have settled on the bald beauty from Tuscany who was in charge of Roma from 2005 – 2009.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The appointment of Luciano Spalletti is a masterstroke as not only does it address the tactical deficits that have been plaguing Roma on the field, it also provides a grand dose of romance and optimism that the fans have been yearning for.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Whilst the head clearly identified Conte as a safer choice due to his impressive record as both a leader and disciplinarian, he was very much lacking in the qualities sought by the heart. And it is the heart that is the keystone to the AS Roma riddle.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Grinding out boring 1-0 victories is not enough for the giallorossi faithful who demand fire and passion in their teams. Spalletti boasts a proud record of providing entertaining football on a shoe-string budget and tends to increase and warm the fan base rather than alienating it. In short, he is a good fit for this dour Roma and the (currently) sparsely populated Stadio Olimpico.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Any reunion with an Ex always has its complications and the most striking of these will be how Spalletti plans to answer the Francesco Totti question. Furthermore, how he decides to build his team to patch the frailties and accentuate the qualities will hinge greatly on his relationship with the DS.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Whether this will be Walter Sabatini or another remains a point of contention while Pallotta still grips his newly christened axe. It is no coincidence that Saba was fighting tooth and nail to hold onto Rudi at the helm. Saba and Spalletti are unlikely to be a compatible fit as the Tuscan is sure to request more control over the mercato in addition to appointing his own staff. Furthermore, Sabatini’s long list of South American wunderkinds are unlikely to hold much currency in his Pros column whilst the Cons features Iturbe and Ibarbo.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>LIVE REFLECTIONS</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">At the match last Saturday night it was as clear as the night’s air that immediate change was needed. On what would have been a marquee night of calcio during any other year, the crowd was small yet vocal in it’s disapproval.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There were several striking (non football) features that made this match stand out to me compared to the handful of Roma games I had previously witnessed at the Olimpico. <span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The first was obviously the empty Curva Sud. The lack of sound and activity while the players warmed up (except for a few whistles when Gervinho mucked up an attempted back-heel flick over the keeper) was both unsettling and sad. Whilst both sides of the Distinti Sud made themselves heard particularly during the opening fifteen minutes, the atmosphere was several notches below impressive.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">On the way to both the stadium and my seat I couldn’t help but notice that not only was there way fewer people attending the match than what I recalled, but that a striking portion of them appeared to be tourists. I was asked for directions a couple of times in both English and broken Italian from randoms that were attending their first Roma match. This may be due to Pallotta’s AC Roma publicity campaign and certainly suggests the brand is in fact being expanded, but the fact that the city is one of the world’s major tourist attractions is a more likely answer. Either way, it certainly gave me pause that the already poor 2015-16 crowd numbers would look damn near catastrophic if you took away the overseas Romanistasses (your humble scribe included) or curious tourists.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">At the conclusion of the woeful second half the crowd was united in condemning what it had witnessed. Whistles and jeers carried on as the players departed the field and the dejected looking public began to file out.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As I stood up to leave I noticed one bloke ranting and raving to no one in particular, gesticulating with wild arms as he unleashed a tirade of expletive lade Italian. Naturally, I assumed this guy was Dhaw.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">What was most striking about this guy’s rant was that no one was giggling or looking at him like he was a crazy person, most were nodding sadly in agreement.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The tifosi of Rome are not happy with AS Roma.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">From his fortress in Miami Beach, it appears that Emperor Jimmy has begun the tough task of winning back his subjects. For all of Rudi’s faults, it is rather unbecoming that his dismissal has been drawn out in this way. Whilst the conclusion of his reign has been less than stellar, many will remember fondly the ten wins in a row that began his Roma career. But football is a tough old business, calcio particularly so. As this fraught chapter of Roma’s history crawls to it’s end, we are staring into an exciting era headed by a beloved adopted Roman.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Forza Spalletti!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">* We at CDT will obviously provide you with all the official information of the coaching change as it drips in. Also, the powers that be might even have a special surprise for everyone, depending how Jimmy’s negotiations in Miami go.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
https://www.chiesaditotti.com/2016/1/12/10755784/garcia-goes-spallettis-summonedSam Straya