Roma face Fiorentina on April 25th, Totti talks about his future playing status, Heinze turns 34, Roma Facebook reaches a milestone, and possible lineup changes for Sunday against Juventus
Round 33 Updated Schedule
Most of us are aware that all of the matches for week 33 were canceled because of the tragic death of Piermario Morosini of Livorno last week. All of the matches have been rescheduled for April 25th. Round 34 of the will go ahead as scheduled, which has Roma visiting Juventus in Turin on Sunday at 2:45 PM EDT. Roma will then face Fiorentina on the following Wednesday at 11:00 AM EDT. As we look forward to the return of Serie A, we will also keep our prayers and thoughts with Piermario Morosini’s family and friends.
Totti Wants to Play Until 40
Roma captain, Francesco Totti, revealed that he would like to keep playing until he is 40 according to goal.com. “I still have two years left on my contract, and if I’m physically fit, I hope to still be playing until I’m 40.” Totti is currently 35 and has played his entire professional career at Roma. He also pushed back against Luis Enrique’s critics, “I have always said that when there are big changes, it takes a little time to find the right mix. The coach’s aim is to bring a new mentality to Italy. I like his game and I’m sure that you will soon see us winning.”
Buon Compleanno Heinze
Roma defender Gabriel Heinze turned 34 on April 19th. He moved to the capital from Marseille over the Summer, and has seen a lot of playing time this season due to several defenders being injured. Heinze has also played for other top clubs such as, Manchester United and Real Madrid. His experience and skill has proven to be a big help in the back, and many fans are expecting him to stay another season with the team.
Roma’s Facebook Page Reaches 1 Million
Roma fans across the globe celebrated 1 million fans on their Facebook page on April 13th. Although many fan sites were on Facebook, the team launched their official page on September 10, 2011. The official website, asroma.it, also got a face lift this season and can be read in Italian and English. This has been a huge part of the new ownership’s promise to market the team and build a bigger fan base in Italy and around the world. To help spread the word, the team will be playing some exhibition games over the Summer in the United States, which is a growing market for European football.
Borini and Stekelenburg May Miss Juventus
Football-Italia reported that Roma’s number one keeper missed training on Thursday due to a virus. Unfortunately, Bogdan Lobont has a knee injury and will not be available. This leaves Gianluca Curci to face off against an unbeaten Juventus. Curci is from the club’s youth system, and returned to Rome in the Summer after playing for Siena and Sampdoria. If Stekelenburg is unavailable on Sunday, Curci could play his first game of the season against the current number one team in the league. Also, Borini was expected to return this weekend, but left Friday’s training session after suffering from lower back pain. His status for Sunday is unknown at this time, and he will looked at by the team’s medical staff before the team travels to Turin.