Franco Baldini is in meetings to plan the new Roma, but the FA insist he “will remain solely focused on England's qualification campaign.”
It is an increasingly confusing situation, as the Giallorossi held a major transfer summit with Baldini, director of sport Walter Sabatini, Daniele Pradè, Vito Scala, Antonio Tempestilli, Cristina Mazzoleni and Claudio Fenucci in Rome on Friday.
“It was a meeting to establish everyone's roles. This is the new Roma,” said Sabatini. “Is Baldini part of it? You know that he is.”
Franco Baldini is in meetings to plan the new Roma, but the FA insist he “will remain solely focused on England's qualification campaign.”
It is an increasingly confusing situation, as the Giallorossi held a major transfer summit with Baldini, director of sport Walter Sabatini, Daniele Pradè, Vito Scala, Antonio Tempestilli, Cristina Mazzoleni and Claudio Fenucci in Rome on Friday.
“It was a meeting to establish everyone's roles. This is the new Roma,” said Sabatini. “Is Baldini part of it? You know that he is.”
Even Baldini stopped to talk to journalists outside the offices and confessed he had a firm plan.
“I cannot say anything now, as I am still the general manager of the English Federation, but you'll know everything in a couple of weeks.”
That message does not seem to have reached the FA, who painted a very different picture.
“We are confident from our conversations with Franco that Franco will remain solely focused on England's qualification campaign,” Club England managing director Adrian Bevington told Sky Sports.
“Once we have qualified we can look at it again from there.”
It was thought Baldini could hold a job-sharing arrangement with both England and Roma, but that does not seem to be the case.
He spent six years with the Giallorossi as director of football and was brought to England by Fabio Capello.
“We have no doubts that Fabio and Franco are and will remain 100% committed to their role, hopefully taking us through to a successful tournament in Poland and Ukraine,” added Bevington.