Roma might be hampered by Financial Fair Play limitations, but with Houssem Aouar and Evan N’Dicka secured already as free agents, they’re showing a smart strategy at work.
Jose Mourinho seems to have decided to remain at the Stadio Olimpico after months of threats, although without doubt a large chunk of that is also because the likes of Paris Saint-Germain and the Brazil national team proved to be less interested than he had originally hoped.
After winning the Conference League in the first season and reaching the Europa League Final in the second, it would’ve been a shame for the Special One to leave this experience ahead of time. There is more to be achieved here with the right attitude and the Giallorossi may well be setting the template for dealing with a miniscule budget, one that other clubs will soon be following.
Former Milan and current Monza CEO Adriano Galliani became legendary for his ability to secure cut-price deals on the transfer market, building entire teams out of free agents and loan stars looking to recapture their former glories. Tiago Pinto is following those ideas, although fortunately for Roma his free agents tend to be younger than the Galliani targets.
The strategy was already outlined with the capture of Paulo Dybala, who had plenty of other alternative solutions willing to give higher wages and perhaps even playing in the Champions League. However, Roma can offer something that bigger clubs cannot and that is complete devotion from a passionate fanbase accustomed to failure. Any small achievement from Mourinho, any classy goal from Dybala, it is all greeted like they’ve won the World Cup. Over 30 consecutive sell-out matches at the Stadio Olimpico, cheers and gratitude even when struggling for results, because the fans realise FFP has left the club in a tight spot.
These restrictions mean Mourinho has had to dip into the youth academy for new talents and Roma have one of the best in the country, finally these young players have the opportunity to show what they can do and be thrown in at the deep end. Who knows how many other talents are out there in Italian clubs, languishing because they don’t get the chance to break through?
The last two seasons have shown Roma all too well what they are missing in the current squad, so Tiago Pinto knew with plenty of advance warning what to look for on the market. The talks with Aouar and N’Dicka have been going on for months, which is how they managed to beat more prestigious candidates for their signature, including the late Milan attempt for the centre-back.
Considering Lazio have qualified for the Champions League and have if anything an even thinner squad than Roma, they really ought to have taken a similar approach. It has been no secret for years that they lack an understudy to Ciro Immobile, yet movement on that front has varied between sluggish to non-existent.
Of course, there is another reason these players choose Roma and that is because they know if another bigger club does come calling, they will be able to move on without too much of a fight on their hands, making everybody happy with a fat profit.
Twitter: @SusyCampanale