Former Roma coach Fabio Capello believes the Giallorossi have signed too many players with a ‘significant’ injury history but insists José Mourinho has the ‘experience and charisma’ to lead the team.
Roma are three points below fourth-placed Napoli in the Serie A table and have had several ups and downs this season, winning five games from 12, drawing three and losing four times.
Capello, a former Giallorossi boss and the last coach to win the Serie A title at the Stadio Olimpico in 2001, feels the club have been adopting the wrong transfer strategy over the last few years.
“It is not a mystery that Roma have gambled on several players with a significant transfer history,” the 77-year-old said in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“For now, they do not have the right numbers because this lottery has not brought the results they hoped.”
Roma have been forced to operate with a reduced transfe budget to comply with Financial Fair Play restrictions. Therefore, they have signed several free agents, including Paulo Dybala and Houssem Aouar, while injury-prone Renato Sanches joined the club last summer on loan from PSG. Other players, such as Chris Smalling and Lorenzo Pellegrini have been dealing with physical issues this term, combining eight appearances across all competitions.
However, Capello believes Mourinho is the ideal coach for the Giallorossi, especially in such a tricky moment.
“Surely he is. Having experienced many situations during his career will help him emerge from a difficult situation,” noted Capello.
“A coach with his experience and charisma will help players feel more comfortable.”
Roma picked up a 0-0 draw against city rivals Lazio in the derby della Capitale before the break and will host Udinese at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome this coming Sunday.