Roma sack coach Juric after slump in form in Serie A
AS Roma have sacked their coach Ivan Juric as the Croatian became the capital side’s second coach to be fired this season.
Roma lost 3-2 at home against Bologna on Sunday, their fourth loss in the last five league games, leaving them 12th in the standings.
“We would like to thank Ivan Juric for his hard work these past weeks,” Roma said in a statement.
“He handled a difficult environment with the utmost professionalism, and for that we are grateful… The search for a new head coach has already begun and an announcement will be made in the coming days.”
Former Italy coach Roberto Mancini is reportedly in talks with club owners to take over, La Gazzetta dello Sport reported.
Roma appointed Juric in September to become their third coach in the span of eight months after they sacked Daniele De Rossi, who himself had been appointed in January after Jose Mourinho was fired.
Juric, formerly coach at Torino, Hellas Verona and Genoa, started off with consecutive home wins against Udinese and Venezia in the league, either side of a 1-1 draw against Athletic Bilbao in the Europa League.
His good run, however, ended there and Roma won only once in their next six league games.
Without striker Paulo Dybala, absent with a muscle strain in Juric’s final game, Roma created a host of chances against Champions League side Bologna but went behind after 25 minutes when forward Santiago Castro scored for the visitors.
Stephan El Shaarawy equalised after the hour mark but Riccardo Orsolini restored the lead for Bologna three minutes later and Jesper Karlsson made it 3-1 in the 77th, before El Shaarawy added his second.
Roma have picked up 13 points so far this season, making it their worst start after the first 12 Serie A games in the last 20 years.
Elsewhere on Sunday, Atalanta beat Udinese 2-1 with a deciding own-goal from Isaak Toure; and Fiorentina beat Hellas Verona 3-1 with a hat-trick from Moise Kean.
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