Former Milan Coach to Be in the Mix for Roma Opening | OneFootball

Claudio Ranieri has excluded a few candidates for the Roma job, in particular Gian Piero Gasperini and Francesco Farioli, and shortly after that, a few more have been linked to them, especially Stefano Pioli. He’s keen on leaving Saudi Arabia less than a year after his arrival.

According to Sky, the former Milan boss is on the Giallorossi’s shortlist. He’s on excellent terms with the veteran gaffer and consultant. Moreover, director Florent Ghisolfi and the Friedkin family had reached out to him before appointing Ivan Juric earlier in the season. He had already given his word to Al-Nassr at the time.

Pioli makes €12M annually in the Middle Eastern league, and his contract comprises a release clause should Roma or other big European sides contact him, Goal informs. He’s inclined to head back to Italy because his team isn’t doing too well. There’s chatter about some friction with Cristiano Ronaldo.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the Giallorossi are also examining Maurizio Sarri, Roberto Mancini, Enzo Maresca, Vincenzo Italiano, and a pair of foreign options like Ernesto Valverde and Christophe Galtier.

Our Take on Roma and Pioli

There’s a chance it was all a misdirection by Ranieri to quiet the chatter, as the team is thriving in Serie A and is fighting for very important objectives. Likely, they haven’t made the call yet. Plus, there’ll be a few empty chairs in a few months. While their opening is alluring, it won’t be the most prestigious one. They might have to wait to see where the chips might fall and won’t necessarily have the pick of the litter.