ROME (AP) 鈥� Last June, Claudio Ranieri and Gian Piero Gasperini , two of Italy鈥檚 most respected coaches united in their efforts to make Roma a contender again.
Less than a year later, Ranieri and Gasperini are fighting over control of the capital club, which is in sixth place and at risk of missing the Champions League for a seventh straight year.
Ranieri stepped down as Roma coach after last season when the team missed out on qualifying for the Champions League by one point. He then became a special adviser for the team鈥檚 American owners and was involved in picking Gasperini as his successor.
鈥淲e had a list of five or six coaches, three didn鈥檛 come and in the end the club made the choice,鈥� Ranieri said last week. 鈥淲e selected (Gasperini) because of what he did in Atalanta with his young players. He and I chose the players. 鈥� We gave him a squad that finished within one point of the Champions League last season with plenty of young players to promote.鈥�
Gasperini, however, has expressed disappointment with some of the players that Roma signed 鈥� with the exception of Donyell Malen, who has 10 goals in 12 Italian league matches since transferring from Aston Villa in January.
鈥淚f I am consulted again I will stay on,鈥� Ranieri said. 鈥淥therwise I could also leave. I love Roma and I am ready to step aside as senior adviser, just as I had already done before as coach.鈥�
Asked about Ranieri鈥檚 comments after a 3-0 victory over Pisa last Friday, Gasperini said the only player that he asked for and arrived during the offseason was Brazilian full back Wesley.
Asked to explain why Roma has struggled to produce goals 鈥� something uncharacteristic for his coaching style 鈥� Gasperini said, 鈥淚 asked for help in attack 鈥� (because) I鈥檝e always pushed for improving the level in that area. Unfortunately, it didn鈥檛 happen and that鈥檚 why we had some issues.”
Up next for Roma is a visit by Atalanta, his former squad, on Saturday.
鈥淚 left a very strong squad and I know their worth,鈥� Gasperini said of Atalanta, which is one spot behind Roma in the standings.
Key matchups
Inter Milan striker Pio Esposito will face his brother, Sebastian Esposito, when the Serie A leader hosts Cagliari on Friday. Both players are forwards. A third Esposito brother, Salvatore, is a midfielder for Sampdoria in Serie B.
Players to watch
AC Milan winger Rafael Le茫o was whistled off the field in a loss to Udinese last weekend in what may have been a breaking point with the Rossoneri鈥檚 supporters. Le茫o was the Serie A player of the season when Milan won Serie A in 2022 but his form has been a constant issue ever since.
Out of action
Inter defender Alessandro Bastoni shouldered a lot of the blame for Italy鈥檚 failure to qualify for the World Cup when he received a costly red card, and he continues to struggle in Serie A, too. Bastoni鈥檚 stumbles mean he鈥檒l likely be rested against Cagliari as Inter looks to defend its nine-point lead over defending champion Napoli with six rounds remaining.
Off the field
Giovanni Malag貌 and Giancarlo Abete are the leading candidates to replace Gabriele Gravina as the president of the Italian soccer federation (FIGC).
Malag貌 led the Italian Olympic Committee for 12 years, is an IOC member, and was president of the local organizing committee for the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.
Abete was FIGC president from 2007-14 and resigned when Italy was eliminated after the group stage of the 2014 World Cup. He’s now president of Italy’s amateur soccer league.
Gravina stepped down after Italy lost a World Cup qualifying playoff to Bosnia and Herzegovina last month.
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