The mood in the Eternal City if you are of a Roma persuasion is not good. Coach Luciano Spalletti tore into his players after Sunday’s 3-1 defeat in Torino, issuing double training sessions to his players leading up to next weekend’s huge clash against Inter.
 

Sporting Director Walter Sabatini is reported to be on the verge of relinquishing his position in the next few days and Director General Baldissoni has flown to London to meet President James Palotta to discuss the delicate situation surrounding the club and the next stage in their plans for a new stadium.  

Then there is the wife of club icon Francesco Totti. On the eve of his 40th birthday, Ilary Blasi has been talking to La Gazzetta dello Sport in which he explained that; “The football choices are questionable but I don’t want to discuss this. What I would state however, is that there are problems at the club on a human level”. She was referring to coach Spalletti when she declared that; “I’m not critical of his technical choices but his human behaviour, he is a small man. He expresses wonderful words about Francesco but these are only words and this is no way to behave. It’s right to look to the future to a team without Totti but there are ways of doing things and he has not managed to take a human path”.  

Next came criticism of President Pallotta in which she stated that; “He says that his body is no longer as strong as his mind? What I would say to him is that the mind has to be consulted before the words are spoken”. When asked if her husband may play on until 2018 she replied; “That’s something you will have to ask him. He’s an intelligent man and if he believes he can continue he will be the first to admit it”.


Steve Mitchell @barafundler