Roma manager Jose Mourinho is reportedly facing the sack if the Giallorossi suffer a shock defeat to Cagliari this weekend.
On the back of guiding Roma to Europa Conference League glory in the 2021-22 season, Mourinho came agonisingly close to winning the Europa League with the Giallorossi last season, only to suffer penalty-shootout heartbreak against Sevilla.
A sixth-placed finish in the 2022-23 Serie A campaign also saw Roma return to the second tier of continental football, and the Italian giants made several notable acquisitions over the summer.
As well as the loan signings of Romelu Lukaku, Rasmus Kristensen, Renato Sanches, Sardar Azmoun and Diego Llorente, Roma also secured permanent deals for Houssem Aouar, Evan Ndicka and Leandro Paredes to complement their existing crop of established internationals, including last season's top scorer Paulo Dybala.
Roma's astute summer business led to whispers of a possible Scudetto charge in 2023-24, but the Europa League runners-up have flattered to deceive in the early stages of the campaign, winning just two of their opening seven Serie A fixtures.
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The Giallorossi have only beaten Frosinone and Empoli at home so far this term, drawing with Salernitana and Torino while suffering defeats to AC Milan, Genoa and Hellas Verona.
Eight points from a possible 21 leaves Mourinho's men 13th in the embryonic table, but Roma have made a perfect start to their Europa League group-stage campaign, overcoming Sheriff Tiraspol and Servette in their first two matches.
Both of Roma's most recent fixtures have now ended in victory, and Mourinho's side head to basement team Cagliari on Sunday evening as the overwhelming favourites to make it three wins on the bounce.
However, Corriere dello Sport claims that Roma president Dan Friedkin is ready to give Mourinho the boot if his side fall short against Cagliari, having originally wanted to sack him after their 4-1 beating at the hands of Genoa.
Sporting director Tiago Pinto managed to convince Friedkin not to dismiss the former Chelsea and Manchester United manager, whose side have since scored six goals and conceded none in wins over Frosinone and Servette.
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Pinto's pleas will likely fall on deaf ears if Roma are outclassed at Cagliari, though, and the report adds that Friedkin has identified former Bayern Munich and Germany head coach Hansi Flick as his top pick for a successor.
Flick was dismissed from his Mannschaft post last month following a run of three successive defeats, the last of which saw Germany humiliated in a 4-1 thrashing at the hands of Japan.
Meanwhile, Mourinho's record as Roma manager reads 58 wins, 26 draws and 34 defeats from 118 matches in charge since he was appointed to replace Paulo Fonseca in the summer of 2021.
The 60-year-old's contract at Stadio Olimpico is due to expire at the end of the current campaign.
Ben Knapton
