Roma's reformation under Rudi Garcia last season was a sight to behold, as the Giallorossi sported the league's best offensive and defensive record for much of the season, and seldom dipped below second place. Led by the ageless Francesco Totti and a resurging Gervinho, Roma's offense ran circles around opponents, while their defense, buoyed by new signees Mehdi Benatia and Maicon, stymied opposing attacks, helping Roma run out to a 10-0 start to the season.
2014-2015 Serie A preview: Roma dreaming of the scudetto
Consistency at the helm, a wealth of attacking talent and still plenty of strength in defense -- is there any reason to think Roma don’t have a decent shot at the Serie A title?
Paolo Bruno
A.S. Roma:Rome, Lazio Last season: 2ndCoach: Rudi Garcia
In nearly any other season, Roma's club record 85 points would have been good enough to capture their first Scudetto since 2001. Unfortunately, Roma was done in by Juventus' own record campaign, as the Old Lady of Italian football captured their third straight title thanks to an incredible 102 points. While the Giallorossi resumed their 21st century role as Serie A's second fiddle, they did earn automatic qualification into this year's Champions League.
Determined to no longer be second best, Roma dove headfirst into the transfer market, grabbing Argentine phenom Juan Iturbe from Hellas Verona for €22m, and then stealing Cagliari defender Davide Astori from city rivals Lazio under the cover of night. Roma rounded out their squad with low-risk, high reward veterans like Ashley Cole and Seydou Keita.
Of course, when you spend big, you have to sell big. In an effort to balance their books, Roma sold star defender Mehdi Benatia to Bayern Munich for €26m, replacing him with Greek starlet Kostas Manolas at half the price.
More from our team sites
Nevertheless, Roma are now effectively two deep at every position, with considerable talent up-front, but will this be enough to deny Juventus their fourth straight Scudetto?
Key Player
Francesco Totti
Even as he approaches age 38, Totti remains not only a club and civic icon, but Roma's best player. Despite their rousing success last season, the difference between Roma with Totti and Roma without Totti was palpable, as Rudi Garcia's attack often floundered without Totti's intuitive presence. Despite missing significant time last season, Totti's eight goals were good for third on the club, while his 10 assists shared the league lead.
Twenty years into his career and Totti is as crucial as ever to Roma’s chances for success.
Key Departures and Arrivals
In: Ashley Cole, Seydou Keita, Kostas, Manolas, Urby Emanuelson, Juan Iturbe, Davide Astori, Salih Uçan, Antonio Sanabria, Juan Paredes
Out: Mehdi Benatia, Rodrigo Taddei, Tin Jedvaj (loan), Dodo
Reasons to Watch
Quite simply, Roma plays some of the most enticing football on the continent. Between Totti, Gervinho, Miralem Pjanic, Adem Ljajic, Mattia Destro, Juan Iturbe and Alessandro Florenzi, Roma boasts a bevy of scintillating talent, capable of making any defense look foolish. All of this attacking talent, coupled with their resolute defense, should keep Roma in the title hunt all season.
If that’s not enough to whet your appetite, how ‘bout those beautiful shirts!?
Where They Might Finish
Roma is as talented as any team in the league, so expect a nose-to-nose battle with Juventus for Serie A honors, while their added depth should be enough to advance to the knockout stages of the Champions League
Written by Bren of Chiesa di Totti
See More:
