Time flies when you’re having f… well, given how frustrating this season has been for Romanisti, the most I can truly say is that time flies. When the Giallorossi started this season, expectations were high. Coming off a controversial EL final loss, many hoped that José Mourinho would buck his trend of imploding in his third season at a club to bring Roma some non-Europa Conference League glory. Quite simply, that wasn’t in the cards, and now Roma are down a Mourinho, down a Tiago Pinto, but they’re up an exciting young new manager in Daniele De Rossi, and they’re reportedly about to be up a new General Manager in Florent Ghisolfi.
While the season may be nearly over, with Roma facing down its last home game of the season, the stakes are still incredibly high. The Stadio Olimpico has been a largely welcoming home to the Giallorossi this season, and yet through injury misfortune, poor managing, and more, Daniele De Rossi’s men find themselves on the outside looking in at Champions League qualification for next season. Their chances to return to the Champions League aren’t down to 0% just yet, as there are still some ways for the table to shake out that would get Roma back to Wednesday Night Football, but they almost certainly will go down to 0% with a loss to Genoa tomorrow.
Genoa, on the other hand, is 100% confirmed to be out of European football for next season; at 46 points, they’re in the purgatory of league football where relegation isn’t in the cards, but the boost that European nights can bring to a side is far, far, away. It’s always an open question just how much a side like that will care during the final days of the season; will they look to kill one more big club before the summer break begins, or will they roll over without a whimper?
The answer to that question may be what seals Roma’s fate for next season’s European adventure and, with it, a complete readjustment of Roma’s finances. This may not be the most glamorous game Roma has left on the calendar, but it’s certainly an important one.
There’s no doubt in my mind that Paulo Dybala is the most entertaining footballer that I’ve seen in a Roma kit since Francesco Totti retired. He’s a world class player oozing with technique and charisma, and even when he beefs with an opposition player, he does it with a smirk and a sense that he knows he’s the better player. The biggest knock against the Argentine international as a Roma player is what it always has been: he simply can’t seem to stay healthy. If he did, he’d probably still be at Juventus now, and I’m grateful that Roma were able to bring him to the Stadio Olimpico, but the constant refreshing of news feeds to see if La Joya will be able to bring his fantastic play to the pitch week in and week out has become somewhat draining.
