“Juric was perhaps unlucky that he followed a club legend, in what was already a difficult task given the circumstances.”
AS ROMA ACT AFTER DEFEAT AGAINST BOLOGNA
AS Roma have sacked manager Ivan Juric after just 12 games in charge, following a 3-2 loss at home to Bologna on Sunday.
I Giallorossi sit 12th in Serie A, with only three league wins. They now find themselves searching for their third manager of the season, following Daniele De Rossi’s sacking in September. The feeling around the club was that Juric was going to be sacked regardless of the result against Bologna.
Peering in the window of the Il Messagero building, Rome’s biggest daily newspaper, there was a cut out of the back page of the sports section of the Friday edition. The headline was a damning one.
It read: “ROMA UN PUNTO DI NON RITORNO”. A point of no return.
For Juric, this was certainly the case. During Saturday’s press conference, he discussed Roma’s performance in their 1-1 draw against Union SG in the UEFA Europa League during mid-week. He said: “In Belgium, I didn’t see the soul, the involvement, the focus. I see the run, but I don’t see the soul”.
UNHAPPY WITH JURIC FROM THE BEGINNING
During the walk to the game, posters of Daniele De Rossi could be seen plastered on the walls. The AS Roma legend was sacked after only eight months as manager, despite the optimism that intoxicated the fans when he arrived.
However, it’s clear he’s still adored by the fans. Juric was perhaps unlucky that he followed a club legend, in what was already a difficult task given the circumstances.
Speaking with AS Roma fans before the match, the overall consensus was that they were unhappy with Juric’s appointment from the beginning.
One fan said: “Juric is the wrong answer to the question no one asked. His way of playing requires two things: months of training to integrate his tactics and full-backs who are fast and willing to sacrifice. He had neither”.
Another supporter commented: “He doesn’t fit our style. Traditionally, we’ve been one of the more attacking and exciting teams in Serie A, even when we lose.
“Several last appointments have now been focused on coaches with defensive tendencies, which is controversial among the fan base.”
THE AS ROMA FANS WERE IN FULL VOICE
However dark the mood is around the club, this was not reflected in the atmosphere inside Stadio Olimpico prior to kick-off against Bologna.
The AS Roma fans were in full voice, knowing they would have to help lift their team for the entire 90 minutes of football. Despite their best efforts, Roma looked disjointed and constantly gave the ball away to a much sharper Bologna side.
The away team dominated the ball and looked to get in behind the AS Roma defence at every opportunity. In fact, two of Bologna’s three goals came from the massive amount of space afforded by the accommodating AS Roma defence.
Juric’s substitutions were met with jeers and whistles from AS Roma fans. The loudest of which was the replacement of midfielder Manu Koné with Leandro Paredes in the 80th minute. Koné had a decent game and looked comfortable on the ball, constantly driving his team forward into the attacking third of the pitch.
HEART AND DETERMINATION
The one Roma player who could hold his head the highest following the defeat was winger Stephan El Sharaaway. Il Faraone got his side level before half-time with a brilliant header that snuck under the gloves of goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski for 1-1.
Delight would turn to despair as the game progressed with Jesper Karlsson putting Bologna 3-1 ahead, resulting in nearly half of the AS Roma supporters leaving the Stadio Olimpico with over 13 minutes left to play. Many had simply seen enough.
El Sharawy popped up again after Eldor Shomorudov played a brilliant ball into the box. The attacker cut inside and unleashed a powerful left-footed strike into the roof of the net.
It may have only been a consolation in the end, but El Sharaway showed the heart and determination that the AS Roma fans desire from their team.
Within an hour of the final whistle, the announcement had already been made before many supporters had even reached the metro station. Ivan Juric had been sacked by AS Roma.
ALL WORDS BY MATTHEW BURNS