Rome does not metabolise. The fans do not retreat one step, and it could not be otherwise. It is difficult to accept that a flag, a legend like Daniele De Rossi was used and then thrown away, removed from a project after just four days of the championship. Above all, it is impossible to pretend nothing happened and go on as if nothing had happened.
The unexpected arrival of Ivan Juric this is only part of the story: what hurts the most is the indifference of the Friedkin family who, after choosing to relieve DDR of his duties, preferred to leave Rome, without even stopping for Sunday’s match against Udinese at the Olimpico to watch the new coach play.
On paper, the first challenge for the new coach looks difficult: not only will the second-placed team await the team, but also an empty Curva Sud, which chose not to show up in the stands for the first 30 minutes of the match as a form of protest.
There seems to be one positive fact about this match: Roma have won 10 of their last 11 previous matches at the Olimpico and a draw has not occurred since 2009, that is 16 games.
In this climate of tension it is useless to say but we await the result, the victory, the first three points of the season to get back on track. To try to see beyond.
But the truth is that a victory, as important as it is, it won’t be enough to erase the disappointment. For its fans, Roma is more than just a team: it is identity, passion and belonging. The silence of the stands in the first half of the game will be a clear sign of discontent.
In the end, the result matters, but so does respect for the history and values that the club represents. And this respect will have to be regained, one step at a time, on and off the pitch.