Roma accelerates pursuit of Napoli director Giovanni Manna despite De Laurentiis's €10 million demand

AS Roma's sporting director Massara is preparing to leave the club, with contacts reportedly underway with Marseille. This move would follow the recent departure of former manager Claudio Ranieri, marking another significant administrative overhaul under Friedkin Group ownership at Trigoria. The changes signal continued restructuring at the club leadership level, though details of the timeline and negotiations remain unclear.

Ricky Massara appears poised to depart AS Roma after just one season following his return to the club. His departure comes in the wake of Claudio Ranieri's exit, and strained relations with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini have reportedly accelerated the timeline. Marseille has now entered preliminary discussions with Massara regarding a directorial position, placing him on their shortlist of sporting director candidates. Roma's hierarchy, led by the Friedkin Group and Gasperini, are actively moving to find a replacement. Giovanni Manna, currently sporting director at Napoli, is reportedly the primary target on Roma's radar, though other candidates are also under consideration. The club aims to secure a successor soon. Massara himself is exploring options elsewhere, aware that his time in the capital is drawing to a close. Details regarding the precise timeline or the exact nature of Marseille's interest remain unclear. Roma's search for a new sporting director represents a significant administrative reshuffle as the club looks to align its football operations with Gasperini's vision following his recent appointment.

Italian rapper and Roma fan Gemitaiz discussed the club's recent developments in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport podcast, touching on the departures of Ranieri and Gasperini, as well as the future of Paulo Dybala. Gemitaiz, who attended Roma's match against Fiorentina, expressed his frustration with Dybala's situation at the club. Speaking about the Argentine forward, he said: "Dybala is fracico [a Roman dialect term for unreliable/injury-prone], as we say in Rome, but it is a pleasure to see him play. I hope he leaves; he takes too much money and never plays." On Ranieri's recent exit from the club, Gemitaiz expressed sympathy for the former manager while backing the decision to move forward with Gasperini. He stated: "I'm sorry, he's a symbol of Roma. He wanted to retire for years; I don't think sacking Gasperini was the solution. No Roma fan isn't on Ranieri's side; I'm grateful to him, but if things aren't working... He's said many times he wanted to stop; it's more natural and spontaneous for him to leave. Gasperini is a great coach; we've been making the same points for a long time, let's give him a chance to start the project." Gemitaiz also spoke fondly of Francesco Totti, expressing his childhood admiration for the club's legendary number 10 and his desire to thank him if they met.