It had been since April 2018 that the number 7 golden-red did not settle for three consecutive games on the bench: on the fourth one, he returned as a starter and played for 90 minutes.

Yesterday evening, against Lecce, Roma secured their victory after more than a month since their last win (the previous victory before yesterday was the 1-0 against Torino, on last October’s 31st), best celebrating Ranieri’s 100th time as Roma’s bench-boss. With the return of the Testaccio coach, Roma returned to a winning smile compared to a disappointing season start, as well as some individuals (see Hummels), the same cannot be said about Lorenzo Pellegrini. In the seasonal premiere of the Testaccio coach, as they faced a defeat at the Maradona against Napoli, when their number 7 was swapped during the interval. From that point onward, there were three consecutive benches due to technical selection – something that hadn’t happened since the 2017-18 season, his first return in Giallorosso, precisely since April 2018. On that occasion, Pellegrini missed the Serie A clashes against Fiorentina and Lazio, which were punctuated by the memorable quarter-final return match of the Champions League against Barcelona. The midfielder returned to the pitch in the following match against Genoa, playing the full 90 minutes. Words that bear witness to the incredibly difficult time for Pellegrini, who is targeted by fans for being the captain during a performance that is anything but satisfying for Roma at the start of this season. However, this doesn’t diminish the high regard the Testaccio-born coach has for him, which he vocalized by stating “I’ve had two midfielders who score goals in my career, Lampard and Pellegrini.” And of course, the supporters can’t help but refer to the fact that the Giallorossi started to grind out both performances and results precisely when number 7 began to park himself on the bench. On Thursday, against Braga in the sixth round of the Europa League group stage, Pellegrini could return to the field. This is especially considering the presumably sub-par condition of Dovbyk who was out with the flu yesterday, and the careful management required with Dybala. There’s also the contractual situation of number 7, which is set to expire on June 30, 2026, in play. Marcello Spaziani