AS Roma’s decision to part ways with young midfielder Romano has sparked early debate in Italian football circles, carrying notable parallels to the club’s past departure of Davide Frattesi. Acquired in 2022 from the youth system of Winterthur, the midfielder quickly secured a regular starting role under coach Fabio Pisacane.
Early Impact and Immediate Success at Cagliari
The transition proved easy for the former Winterthur youth player. Under Pisacane—a coach known for placing trust in younger prospects given his own background in Cagliari’s Primavera setup—Romano locked down a spot in the starting XI right away. His immediate impact included a decisive goal during his debut fixture against Parma. He followed that performance with consistent displays across subsequent fixtures, featuring in five matches and routinely playing the full 90 minutes. His only substitution before the international break came late in a match against Udinese.
The Davide Frattesi Precedent and Transfer Market Regret
Football observers have been quick to draw comparisons between Romano’s trajectory and the summer 2021 departure of Davide Frattesi to Sassuolo. In Frattesi’s case, Roma reportedly made multiple attempts in subsequent years to bring the midfielder back, albeit without success. Frattesi eventually returned to Rome, though to play with Lazio. With Romano’s integration at Cagliari, questions are mounting over whether Roma risk repeating a similar oversight.
Tactical Fit Under Fabio Pisacane
What Comes Next
Cagliari return to league action following the international break.
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