Chelsea and Roman Abramovich may be drawn to Luciano Spalletti's style at Roma

By Malcolm Moore in Rome

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Luciano Spalletti, whose Roma team is more famed for their stylish football than for winning titles, has emerged as the latest favourite to fill the vacant manager's seat at Chelsea.

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The Roma coach is in pole position following AC Milan manager Carlo Ancelotti's public rebuttal of Chelsea's advances - although Roman Abramovich may have been encouraged by mixed messages coming out of Italy yesterday suggesting he may still be interested.

	Iconic figure: Luciano Spalletti is idolised for his tactical nous

Unlike Ancelotti, Spalletti has never won Italy's Serie A and has a mere two Italian Cups in his trophy cabinet. Roma have finished second in the league behind Inter Milan for the past three years.

However, Roma's flair and slick passing during their 4-2 aggregate victory over Real Madrid in last season's Champions League may have convinced club owner Roman Abramovich that Spalletti has what it takes to bring glory to Chelsea.

Spalletti, 49, has taken Roma to two consecutive Champions League quarter-finals on the thinnest of resources, and has developed Daniele De Rossi and Alberto Aquilani, two products of the youth team, into midfielders for the Italian national team.

Both are negotiating their contracts and could come with Spalletti to Chelsea if he signs. Roma were quiet about losing their iconic manager yesterday, but did not deny the possibility. Spalletti was also silent, and is usually quick to quash rumours.

La Gazzetta dello Sport suggested that he had been taking English lessons for the past few weeks. Spalletti signed a new contract last year tying him to the club until 2011. However, he might be tempted by the opportunity to double or triple his annual £2.5 million pay packet.

Spalletti is idolised in Rome for his tactical nous. He cut his teeth at Empoli, Sampdoria, Venezia, Ancona and Udinese, a dowdy Northern Italian club which he took to the Champions League for the first time in their history.

When he arrived at Roma in 2005, however, he found the club in disarray. Years of overspending, including a lavish £28 million deal for the 31-year-old Gabriele Batistuta, had left the club on the precipice of bankruptcy. Roma had also been banned from making any transfers for a year after a dispute with Auxerre over the signing of Philippe Mexes.

Out of necessity, Spalletti came up with the 4-6-0 'strikerless' formation which has since been copied, and tweaked, by Sir Alex Ferguson.

In the system, Roma captain Francesco Totti has licence to roam, leaving defenders clueless about whether or not to mark him. Two wingers can also cut inside to support Totti. With teams that defend deeply, Roma's midfield get the space to create from deep.

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More rumour and speculation. I am astounded that anyone believes what they hear or read these days. And it is amazing how many journalists have suddenly become confidants of the Chelsea owner, a notoriously private man who tends to keep his own counsel.
Posted by Ollie on June 5, 2008 11:00 AM
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Why doesn't Roman just have done with it and name himself as manager. The other option would be to give it to Schevchenko, he's done bugger all else. They may have to seriously consider these options after everyone else has knocked them back. It's a shame Yosser Hughes is not still in the job market. He may well have got a positive response from CFC.
Posted by andy.sealpup@blueyonder.co.uk on June 5, 2008 10:30 AM
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Howard - There's no hatred and bitterness from me my friend. Hatred and bitterness is strictly for losers and my club has just won the League and European Cup double. I'm poking fun at your club in precisely the same way as some of you people would if it was my lot making complete fools of themselves. It's called having a sense of humour. You should try getting yourself one.
Posted by xanadu on June 5, 2008 10:19 AM
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LUCIANO SPALLETTI WILL NOT LEAVE OUR MARVELLOUSE TEAM, AS ROMA! DEAR ROMAN ABRAMOVICH, DON'T BREAK OUR BEAUTIFUL TOY AND TAKE ROBERTO MANCINI, PLEASE!
Posted by MARCO LONGO on June 5, 2008 9:43 AM
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Xanadu,carrying all that hatred and bitterness around must be starting to weigh you down.Your biased opinions do make me laugh even if they are totally ridiculous.
Keep Steve Clarke and bring in Gianfranco Zola,go on the Chels.
Posted by Howard on June 5, 2008 9:16 AM
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According to reports on the radio, this Spaghetti bloke that only Titch has ever heard of has definitely turned Chelsea down and that's a shame because Fergie has this irritating habit of making his teams look stupid every time they play them. Meanwhile, Chelsea are reported to have said they are "ecstatic" that the man who was No.74 on their hit list to replace Avram Grant has told them where to stuff their lousy job and that their search for a new man is going "exactly according to plan."
Latest reports this morning suggest that CFC have now approached the Stonehenge Academicals manager Bert Sidebottom to take the hot seat at The Bridge, but he is holding out for a bigger job at Salisbury Town. Apparently, Mr Sidebottom is also annoyed that he was only No.263 on Chelsea's hit list when he was hoping to be in the top 150 of prospective candidates along with his next door neighbour's goldfish and the bloke that cleans the Gents toilets at Euston Station.

Posted by xanadu on June 5, 2008 8:02 AM
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Striker - less??? Hahahaha... You might as well add Tooth-less.. Hammering by Man Utd 7-1 is the prime example/lesson Roma is still smarting from..
Posted by Jim Nga on June 5, 2008 7:48 AM
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Spalletti is an eccellent coach but I do not think he will move from Roma He put a lot of efforts to build the team to its standards. He is able to coach any team at any level. Sorry about this I am a Roma fan but I also like the Chelsea Club remembering the days of Zola. Alfredo
Posted by Alfredo Andreotti on June 5, 2008 5:33 AM
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