In the wake of Roberto di Matteo’s highly successful spell in charge of Chelsea, the name Andre Villas-Boas has been long forgotten around Stamford Bridge. But he hasn’t gone away, you know.
Less than two months after the hunkering Portuguese boss was given the boot by the Blues, he looks all set for a new adventure with Italian side Roma, where the future of current boss Luis Enrique is hanging by a thread.
Roma currently lie seventh in the Serie A table having lost 14 games in the league this season. The club’s hierarchy have repeatedly backed Enrique in the face of some fairly harsh criticism, but their patience appears to have worn thin, with reports in Portugal suggesting that Villas-Boas is already being groomed as his successor.
A report from Portuguese news outlet Abola certainly thinks so, stating: “Looking for a successor to Enrique, the Italian capital’s club has decided to invest in the Portuguese coach (Villas-Boas) to help the club return to the fight for the championship next season.”
Comments from Enrique and Sporting Director Walter Sabatini, meanwhile, don’t exactly inspire confidence that the former Real Madrid and Barcelona player will remain at the club much longer.
“There are only two possibilities: stay or go,” Enrique said after a draw with Chievo earlier this week.
“I know 100 per cent what I’m going to do, but I won’t tell you. I haven’t even told the team, otherwise the whole world would know a minute later.”
“The first step is deal with this issue with him, convince him and find out what the real reasons (for him thinking about leaving) for this are,” Sabatini added.
“We want him to be our manager but if it isn’t to be we will have to choose someone else.”
Roma are believed to have approached Villas-Boas last summer, but the combination of high wage demands and interest from Chelsea put them off and seeing as his stock has fallen somewhat after his spell in West London, he’s sure to be a far cheaper option this time around.
Villas-Boas will hope that he isn’t undermined by the senior players at his new club like he was at Chelsea, but the fans can be a demanding bunch.
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