Roma are likely to appoint from within for their vacant CEO role, as 37-year-old lawyer Lorenzo Vitali is the current frontrunner to replace the recently-departed Lina Souloukou, according to updates from Italy.
According to Calcio e Finanza and several other outlets in Italy, Vitali is in pole position to become the new CEO of the Giallorossi.
A graduate from the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan and the University of Chicago law school, Vitali has spent the last three years involved with Roma.
Vitali played an integral role in the handover in control from James Palotta to current owner Dan Friedkin, and has also been responsible for untying some of the high-profile legal cases the club have been dealt over the last few years.
He also has experience representing Roma alongside Souloukou as the club’s general counsel at Lega Serie A meetings.
Why Roma need a new CEO
The CEO position at the Stadio Olimpico has been vacant as of Sunday morning, when the club announced that Souloukou had resigned with immediate effect.
A hectic week in the capital had ended with the former CEO being granted police protection, following the firing of club legend Daniele De Rossi.
De Rossi was sacked after just four matches of the 2024-25 season, having picked up just one win from his last 11 competitive matches in charge. He was replaced by Ivan Juric on the same day, who has since gone on to record a 3-0 win over Udinese in Serie A.
Chaos at Roma: De Rossi fired, Juric hired, protests and CEO resignation – All you need to know