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Roma, the team that plays the most beautiful football on the Italian peninsula, have put their trust in a man known as The Beast, Real Madrid’s Brazilian Bigfoot – Julio Baptista. The former Arsenal and Sevilla striker’s transfer saga mirrors that of a famous fairytale, the title of which you have no doubt already guessed.
Its story takes a formerly rich merchant, now impoverished, looking for a rose to give his fine-looking daughter. Unfortunately for the ill-fated merchant, he crosses the path of a beast who insists on wooing his little girl. To cut a long story short, she eventually falls in love with him and he turns into a rather dashing prince.
Fairytales rarely come true though and Romanisti are a little disappointed to say the least with the capture of La Bestia after being promised several roses [Luis Fabiano, Adrian Mutu, Vincenzo Iaquinta and Klaas Jan Huntelaar] this summer. In debt, Roma’s lack of competitiveness in the transfer market is unsurprising, but money aside, why is an exciting and successful football club experiencing so much difficulty when it comes to attracting top draw players?
If Blackburn Rovers, an unglamorous club that hasn’t won anything for 13 years, can bring in a player of Roque Santa Cruz’s stature for £3.5m, why can’t Roma? Last year alone they won the Italian Cup and Super Cup, were Champions League quarter-finalists and narrowly missed out on winning the Scudetto. Is there really a footballer out there that wouldn’t want to learn from Luciano Spalletti or play with Francesco Totti?
Key components to any winning dynamic include pride, professionalism, enthusiasm, and a desire to improve. Roma have shown each of those qualities in recent seasons. If, however, the Giallorossi’s market men can only realistically lure those linked with the club in La Gazzetta dello Sport on Monday [Nery Castillo, David Di Michele and Inter flop David Suazo], you can hardly blame Totti for discounting Roma’s chances this season.
Having challenged Inter’s hegemony and represented Italy on the continent better than any other team over the last two years, Roma and Er Capitano deserve a better class of player than Baptista who despite two very good seasons at Sevilla has scored just 22 goals in his last 103 outings. If the board’s lack of ambition spreads to the team, and I fear it will, Roma risk slipping out of Italy’s top four. Let’s hope hapless director of sport Daniele Prade gets his act together from now until the end of the transfer window.
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They lost Mancini and got Babtista, but need a quality winger like Silva, Joaquin, Quaresma etc to beat Manchester! Maybe selling the club should be the answer!?!
Mikkel
I completely disagree with this article. Being able to bring in star players does not always guarantee success – just ask Real Madrid. And in comparison to Inter, I think Roma have done a pretty good job on the transfer front in spite of the fact that Roma are not as financially stable as Inter are. With all the money Inter have, they could have brought in Quaresma, Deco, and Lampard, but instead brought in Amantino Mancini and Muntari which I find hilarious.
Nicole
James you are a bit harsh on Roma and Baptista. Let's see how they both perform before we start the obituary for the Giallorossi. I am as confused as you are on why the world’s top players don't seem keen on joining Roma. Possibly the lack of big trophies in the past has some weight and the names Milan and Juve are just too appealing. The Premier League has 'sucked' in many players due to the good marketing the English speaking world gives it and quite frankly I think it is easier for good players to perform in that technically inferior League.
John P
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