Ranieri and Gasperini in open conflict over the club’s future
After the match between Roma and Pisa at the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday, it came to light that the relationship between Claudio Ranieri and Gian Piero Gasperini is far more strained than anyone had thought. In the background is a dispute over who will control Rome’s fate going forward.
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A chair for two – who stays put?
Probably, and quite unexpectedly, there will only be room for one of them when the next season starts. At the moment, the Leicester hero – to name one of the highlights of his impressive career – has left the coaching role to become a senior advisor to Roma and thus to the Friedkin family, who own the capital club. Claudio Ranieri was carefully selected for his vision and experience – both qualities that are considered absolutely essential for a project that started with the choice of coach.
The club’s decision, made in consultation with Ranieri, fell on Gian Piero Gasperini. But in retrospect, it has turned out that the underlying intentions have not quite been synchronized. Roma signed Gasperini precisely because of his long career with nine seasons of continuous development at Atalanta – the goal was to lay a solid foundation and develop young players. However, the coach himself was perhaps looking for a more ambitious path right from the start.
Unexpected breakup between Ranieri and Gasperini
The misunderstandings during the transfer window exposed this disagreement. When Roma failed to secure Richard Ríos – who preferred Benfica – and instead opted for El-Aynaoui (in addition to the failed bid for Sancho and Rowe) already between July and August 2025, Gasperini discovered several holes in his squad. In January, Malen came to try to rectify some of the situation, but before that it had been difficult weeks – neither Raspadori nor Zirkzee arrived in Trigoria.
Until now, the disagreements and misunderstandings had remained behind the club’s gym walls. But when the battle for the Champions League place slipped away, the tension level increased considerably – with the focus again on the decisions on player acquisitions.
Ranieri opens up: “I can also leave the role”
Before the match between Rome and Pisa, Claudio Ranieri spoke live on SKY, and the story exploded:
“All the players who came were assessed and accepted by me – but also by the coach. We lost time with Sancho. We tried until the very end, but he wouldn’t come. The coach didn’t like others, and then we didn’t sign them. Due to financial fair play, we had to bring in a lot of players on loan. I picked five or six players – three of them didn’t come. The club chose Gasperini. There was not a single player who came without his approval. I do not act as a guarantor for anyone. I love Roma, and just as I left the coaching role, I might as well leave my position as a senior advisor. I am the owners’ senior advisor – not Gasperini’s.”
The words are meant to demand responsibility from the coach, rather than listen to his displeasure – especially when it comes to the arrival of less experienced and younger players (such as Vaz and Venturino) rather than more seasoned profiles.
Gasperini replies: “See you next week”
Gian Piero Gasperini initially tried to stay out of the controversy. He limited himself to saying that he prefers not to compare with his time at Atalanta, which in his opinion cannot serve as an example based on other assumptions.
But when pressed on the topic at a press conference, he ended up stating:
“There have never been disagreements with Ranieri. See you next week. We have six games left – this is a very sensitive moment for everyone. I am happy with the decision I made. I have no complaints about my players. I gave them freedom of choice for everyone I didn’t know. Then I pointed out two important players – and one of them (Malen) came.”
The way forward: Can the two work together?
In recent weeks, Gasperini has reiterated his desire to continue at Roma, and he has also hinted at a possible promotion to the national team. His contract runs until June 2028, with an annual net salary of five million euros. But for everyone to pull in the same direction, they need to redefine their ideas – not the foundation – and thus be willing to change course. The question is: Can they do it?
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