The words of Fonseca’s former assistant coach: “The perception of the club in the eyes of many is that of battling for important objectives, but the team is not at that level and people don’t understand.”

Nuno Campos, former assistant coach to Paulo Fonseca at Roma, gave an interview to microphones at Zerozero.pt. The Portuguese spoke about his years spent in the Capital and tonight’s challenge between Roma and Porto. Here are his words:

On the adventure with Roma. “It’s a club with a passionate fan base, and there’s immense media pressure. The fans are hungry for titles as they haven’t won in many years.” People believe that Roma ought to always be the champion, even though they have only won three Scudetti in their history. At the moment, this seems a bit unrealistic. Apologies, but there’s no text provided for me to translate. Everyone expects the best from the team, but I believe that at this moment, the ultimate achievement would be to lead the team into the Champions League. There are radio stations, television channels and media outlets that talk about Roma 24 hours a day, putting the club’s decision-making process under intense pressure. Often in top-tier Italian clubs, there isn’t the required patience to wait for a certain type of work. We had some time, but our squad was not as robust as others. At the time, the club was on the brink of being sold, so we could not make many investments. There was a changing of the guard at the president’s office, the company underwent a complete transformation, and even the sports director departed mid-season. There was no possibility of building such a strong team and, despite this, we were fighting for fourth place. It was not easy to keep the team on par with the other clubs. Our style of play has fascinated people, so much so that Paulo Fonseca then moved on to Milan. The motto of Roma is to always win, so they chose to change coach and bring in José Mourinho, whose resume speaks for itself. What is certain is that with Mourinho, the same issues encountered by most coaches have arisen. In the eyes of many, the stature of the club is that of one fighting for significant objectives, but the team is not at that level, and people simply don’t understand. The coach enhances the situation, but he can’t perform miracles. Excessively high expectations often lead to the dismissal of coaches, the departure of sports directors, and sometimes even the resignation of presidents. In the world of football, there is an immense media pressure tied to outcomes. When a coach is swapped out, there must be time allowed for the transmission of ideas and training methodology. With more time on hand, results become evident. Just look at Atalanta, whose coach has been there for eight or nine years and has done an exceptional job. They don’t believe they can compete with the biggest Italian clubs yet. It’s a matter of expectations. In soccer, with all the passion involved, no one realizes that time is needed. “The pressure to win at all costs sometimes means that nothing is won for years.

On Ranieri.” “I believe what is happening in Rome in recent years is normal, as I am familiar with the city. It is when someone has the determination and courage to go against the grain that things become difficult.” Roma now has a coach who boasts victories across various championships and possesses phenomenal experience. However, at the same time, he will need time to settle in. He also did a favor for the club, returning from retirement. But, perhaps at the end of the season, if they do not clinch the fourth spot, another change may be on the horizon. “Renewing the contract could lead to success over time.”

On Roma-Porto. “Roma fans give more significance to league matches than to European games. Nonetheless, I believe the atmosphere will be spectacular, especially in the South Curve, which drives you to win the games.” They are incredibly passionate and consistently support the team. I’ve encountered numerous stadiums around the world, but this one truly stands among the most beautiful. The Olympico truly deserves to be seen and experienced. I believe that Porto will deliver a match that will put Roma under pressure. I know the coach well and he is very proficient, although he will need time. Despite his young age, he has a wealth of experience and a great ability to manage the team well. He’s a coach who likes to press high and if the game doesn’t turn in Roma’s favor, it could be a big opportunity for Porto. Roma put up an excellent performance against Sérgio Conceição’s Milan and managed to withstand the pressure despite the result. There are two teams that will provide a spectacular show, guided by incredibly skilled coaches from a tactical standpoint.