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The original was posted on /r/soccer by /u/Sparky-moon on 2026-04-06 07:50:32+00:00.
The defense has started to leak, the toll of injuries is taking its toll, and Gatti’s goal was a crushing blow that still lingers… but above all, the pace is the same as last year, when the team went through two coaches before turning things around. And qualifying for the Champions League is looking increasingly difficult.
Houston, we don’t just have a problem. We now have 15 problems. That’s how many losses the team has suffered this season following the crushing defeat against Inter over Easter. Eleven of those losses have come in the league, a tally not seen at this stage of the season since the days of Luis Enrique at the dawn of the American era. The Friedkins are pondering a scenario that looms large on the horizon: Roma could throw away another year despite substantial investments, between the summer and January transfer windows and the hiring of a highly regarded coach like Gian Piero Gasperini. Spending 116.5 million euros (excluding bonuses) only to find themselves back at square one can’t be satisfying.
DECLINE—
With seven matches remaining, the Champions League, which has eluded Trigoria for eight seasons is becoming a distant prospect. But what’s truly concerning is the downward trend of a team that has gradually lost its spark, both in Serie A and in cup competitions, following the unwelcome turning point on March 1. Federico Gatti’s 3-3 goal in the head-to-head clash against Juve was a psychological blow, as it dragged Gasperini’s side back from a theoretical +7 lead into a fierce battle for fourth place. Overall, however, the trend of recent weeks reveals a surprising regression: Roma were eliminated from the Europa League in the round of 16 and have lost three of their last four league matches. In the first half of the season, they had conceded a total of 12 goals, while in the 12 matches of the second half, they have already conceded 16.
INJURIES—
A few weeks ago, Gasperini had praised the signing of Malen, pointing out that the lack of a center forward had cost the team points before the January transfer window. But the results in the first half of the season, despite the struggles of Dovbyk and Ferguson, hadn’t been any worse. And Malen’s impact—excellent in terms of goals and more wasn’t enough. The injury excuse holds water, key players like Dybala, Koné, and Wesley are out today, while Angelino has never been available and Soulé has just returned after missing seven games and warrants further examination: Gianluca Mancini also went down at San Siro. One problem leads to another—why? Now the schedule offers two home games to get back on track: the first is a comfortable match against Pisa, who are nearly relegated, while the second could turn into a direct showdown against Atalanta. Roma must get back on track quickly to at least defend the mission accomplished by Claudio Ranieri last year with 45 points in the second half of the season, namely, staying in Europe.
Incidentally: Gasperini has picked up just one more point (54 to 53) despite not having to overcome the difficult start the team faced last season following two managerial changes. Only four times in the three-points-per-match era has Roma lost more league games: the record stands at 15 in 2004–05, when they narrowly avoided relegation. Something is amiss, and it cannot be explained solely by the quality of the squad: too many players, just look at N’Dicka, are not performing to their usual standards. In Houston, where they spent €25 million on Wesley, €27 million on Malen, €23 million on El Aynaoui, €10.5 million on Ghilardi, €6 million on Ziolkowski and €25 million on Robinio Vaz, they would like much more than a sixth-place finish, an almost inescapable constant in their tenure as club owners.