The crowd sang Totti’s name in a veiled jab at the man who phased out their hero but Mauro Icardi’s sharp-shooting fired Spalletti’s side to a scarcely-deserved winAt the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday, the 46th president of the United States paused to grab a selfie with the eighth King of Rome. Frank Underwood and Francesco Totti: two characters stripped of the jobs that defined them. Netflix are yet to confirm whether House of Cards will be renewed for a sixth season, but for Roma the show must go on, even with their greatest star now relegated to a supporting role.The crowd sang Totti’s name before kick-off against Inter, louder than that of any player who would take to the pitch....
From another Scudetto triumph for Juventus to Crotone’s miraculous escape, we revisit Papu Gómez’s armbands, Joe Hart’s gaffes and the grace of TottiThis might have been another year of European heartbreak for Juventus, but domestically it was the same old story. The Bianconeri won Serie A for the sixth consecutive season, and collected their third straight Coppa Italia as well. No team had ever won either trophy so many times in succession. They have made the unprecedented look routine.And yet, this season was not lacking in drama. To the contrary, there was something wild about this campaign right from the start. There were 32 goals scored (not to mention three red cards) on the opening weekend alone. The final tally...
Luciano Spalletti’s side became first team to beat Juventus in Serie A in four months and manager can feel vindicated after often being accused of getting tactics wrong for big gamesMatch point? That’s what they were calling it in the Italian papers, Juventus needing only a draw away to Roma to seal a record-breaking sixth consecutive Scudetto. The Bianconeri looked set to take it, too, producing the equivalent of a 150mph serve as Mario Lemina put them in front in the 21st minute. But Roma responded with a passing shot straight down the line.Goals from Daniele De Rossi, Stephan El Shaarawy and Radja Nainggolan turned a 1-0 deficit into an emphatic 3-1 triumph. Roma became the first team to beat...
Two astonishing goals in Roma’s 3-1 win at Inter showcased the Belgian’s talents and helped keep the Giallorossi snapping at Juve’s heelsRadja Nainggolan makes no secret of his vices. He likes to smoke, to stay out late and to dance. When Rolling Stone magazine asked him whether he considered himself a “discotheque footballer” in late 2015, he replied with an unapologetic “yes”, before adding: “I have no desire to stay home every evening like other players who just go ‘house, football pitch, house, football pitch’.”That mindset has not always endeared him to coaches. Marc Wilmots, after leaving Nainggolan out of Belgium’s 2014 World Cup squad, eventually came to recognise the player’s talent and subsequently made sure that the player’s hotel...
The 28-year-old captain sported another unusual armband and led his younger team-mates to a big win at Chievo after a week of off-field upheavalNot for the first time, Papu Gómez’s biceps stole the show. The Atalanta captain has made headlines all season with his unconventional armband designs. First there was the Mother’s Day tribute, then the Spiderman logo, the Holly & Benji cartoon and, most famously, a celebration of Pro Evolution Soccer’s original Master League XI. As Serie A returned to action on Sunday, he unveiled a new design, inspired by the movie Frozen.It was chosen to mark his daughter Constantina’s second birthday, with her face appearing alongside those of Anna, Elsa and Olaf. But he might unintentionally have also...