Setti on Roma's Challenge: Club Lacks People Who 'Would Kill for Results'
Maurizio Setti, former Verona president, has praised Tony D'Amico—recently appointed to Roma's sporting structure alongside head coach Gian Piero Gasperini—as a capable director with strong player-selection instincts and two decades of football experience. Setti highlighted D'Amico's understated approach and his ability to work harmoniously between ownership and the pitch, noting that D'Amico performed this role effectively at Atalanta, where he acted as a filter between the club's management and technical operations. Setti cautioned that Roma faces a unique challenge in Italian football, stating: "The only spectre he will have to be careful about is Romanità; it is extremely difficult to do football in Rome because there are positive or negative influences." He suggested the club's primary weakness is not strategic incompetence but rather a lack of people driven by genuine passion for results. "Roma is missing not presidents like me, but people who wake up in the morning and would kill to achieve results," Setti said. He also noted that Roma has historically suffered from too many decision-makers without a single daily commander on the pitch to enforce the ownership's vision. Regarding next season, Setti believes Roma could become a serious title contender if the transfer market is handled well, particularly in attack—an area Gasperini will reportedly prioritize. He expressed confidence in D'Amico's recruitment abilities, citing his success bringing players like Donyell Malen to the club.
