Former hero Christian Panucci has praised Roma coach Paulo Fonseca and claimed clubs fighting to resume play must understand ‘primary wealth is life’.
The 46-year-old played 315 games for Roma, but experienced stints at Inter, Milan and Real Madrid during an illustrious career, including 58 caps at right-back for Italy.
After retiring in August 2010, the former Parma player became a coach but has been without a job since he left the position at Albania in March 2019.
Former hero Christian Panucci has praised Roma coach Paulo Fonseca and claimed clubs fighting to resume play must understand ‘primary wealth is life’.
The 46-year-old played 315 games for Roma, but experienced stints at Inter, Milan and Real Madrid during an illustrious career, including 58 caps at right-back for Italy.
After retiring in August 2010, the former Parma player became a coach but has been without a job since he left the position at Albania in March 2019.
Panucci lifted the Scudetto with Milan twice and has won two Champions League, with Milan and Real Madird, and his biggest feat at the Olimpico came in 2007-08, when he helped the club win the Coppa Italia.
The former right-back has been impressed by Paulo Fonsecas ‘ideas’ for the Giallorossi and predicts a great future under the Portuguese.
“I like Fonseca for his ideas, for his character, for the fact that he fell in love with Roma and it could not have been any other way around,” he told the Corriere dello Sport. “He manages the pressure well; the team plays well but sometimes it’s too fragile.
“He has valuable young players who must develop. I think he’s the right man to do a great job for the future.”
Panucci has been following the discussion in Italy about the resumption of Serie A, but has sided with the government and claimed the clubs will have to put their interests aside for now.
“This is part of Italy,” he added. “The clubs can say what they want but then the government decides.
“Getting business started again without having 100 per cent security will become complicated. I understand that there are many interests, but it has not been understood that the primary wealth is life.”