Luis Enrique’s Future in Doubt, More Red Cards, and The Maiden Voyage to the U.S.A.
The Bad
It has been well reported, after the 1-2 loss to Fiorentina, some fans staged a protest and blocked the team bus from leaving the stadium. Fans also unveiled a sign in the stands after the final whistle that stated, “Luis Enrique if you are a real man then you will resign” Amidst all of this turmoil Daniele De Rossi and Roma Sporting Director, Franco Baldini, have come to defend Luis Enrique. Football-Italia quoted Baldini, “As far as I am concerned, he will continue to be the Roma Coach next season.” De Rossi told to La Gazzetta dello Sport, “I still maintain that he is one of the most talented coaches in the world.”, he goes on to say, “But unfortunately he has also been very unlucky, and I will continue to defend him.” However, with the recent news that Pep Guardiola is resigning at the end of Barcelona’s season, some are saying that Enrique may move back to the Catalan club. Some of Enrique’s comments did little to support Baldini’s statements, “This club is different from many others and I wish them all the best for the future.” There are rumors that Roma are already in talks with former Chelsea boss, Andre Villas-Boas, to come in for next season. For the time being, it looks like Enrique will finish out the season with Roma, and that any decision to leave will be made thereafter.
The Ugly
Roma will face Napoli on Saturday, with both teams chasing after third place holders, Lazio. Napoli only sit one point behind Lazio while Roma are five points behind. However, the team will be with out the services of Pablo Osvaldo, who picked up a red card in the final minutes of the match for insulting the referee. Osvaldo will be serving the first of a two match suspension, while Erik Lamela will be serving his second of a three match ban for spitting at Lichtsteiner in the Juventus loss. Daniele De Rossi will also be out after picking on too many yellow cards. Luis Enrique revealed that Maarten Stekelenburg may also be out of the game with a shoulder injury, so Curci may have to start again against Napoli. Many fans can understand the team losing players due to injuries, which has been a huge problem for the team with their back line. However, the 11 red cards this season have been an issue as Roma have the most for any club in the league, and many are saying that Enrique has lost control of his players. Saturday’s game should still be a real nail biter as both sides are still in the competition for Champions League or Europa League competitions. Roma come into the game after losing three out of their last four matches, while Napoli have won two out of their last four.
The Good
Now for some good news. Asroma.it posted that the tickets for the Roma vs. Liverpool match at Fenway Park in Boston will go on sale April 28th at 10 AM. Information for tickets to this match can be found at lfctour.com. This is Roma’s first time traveling to the United States, and the team will also play matches in Chicago and New York city. Details on those dates and opposing teams will be available sometimes in May.