Roma target new sporting director as Massara exit looms
Quick summary
Roma are reportedly preparing to replace sporting director Ricky Massara and have explored candidates including Piero Ausilio, Giovanni Manna and Daniele Prade. Multiple Italian reports suggest Manna is the Friedkin family's preferred option as the club reshapes its structure around Gian Piero Gasperini.
Full article
Attributed to original sourceRoma are set to fire director Ricky Massara, with names approached to take over including Piero Ausilio of Inter, Giovanni Manna of Napoli and ex-Fiorentina chief Daniele Pradè.
Read Football Italia Ad-Free and get access to Exclusive News and Content – Free Trial – Click Here COMO, ITALY – MARCH 15: AS Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini looks on during the Serie A match between Como 1907 and AS Roma at Giuseppe Sinigaglia Stadium on March 15, 2026 in Como, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images) The club is in the process of a complete revamp after the dismissal of special advisor Claudio Ranieri due to his disagreements with coach Gian Piero Gasperini.
The Friedkin family are eager to build a structure that will support Gasperini’s ideas, and that also means the removal of Massara as director of sport this summer.
Roma looking for director of sport WALSALL, ENGLAND – AUGUST 06: Frederic Massara, Sporting Director of AS Roma, looks on prior to the pre-season friendly match between Aston Villa and AS Roma at Pallet-Track Bescot Stadium on August 06, 2025 in Walsall, England. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images) There have been several names mentioned to take over the transfer strategy, including some who are already locked down at big clubs.
Tuttomercatoweb suggest that Roma made an approach for current Inter director Ausilio, though the odds of him leaving the Nerazzurri after winning the Scudetto are very slim indeed.
A more likely candidate would be current Napoli director Manna, who made his name setting up the Juventus Next Gen project, a model that Roma are eager to replicate.
Multiple reports including Repubblica point to Manna as the preferred option for the Friedkin family, but it would cost €10m to buy him out of his Napoli contract.
An easier figure to secure is Pradè, who resigned at Fiorentina earlier this season following the disastrous start to the campaign.
He had already worked at Roma in various roles including director of sport from 2000 to 2011.
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What happened
Roma are expected to part ways with sporting director Ricky Massara as part of a broader club restructuring. The changes follow the exit of Claudio Ranieri after reported disagreements with coach Gian Piero Gasperini. Reports say Roma sounded out Inter's Piero Ausilio, Napoli's Giovanni Manna and former Fiorentina executive Daniele Prade. Manna is described as the preferred candidate, though buying him out of his Napoli contract could be costly. The move is aimed at building a hierarchy more aligned with Gasperini's ideas.
Chance analysis
This matters because sporting director changes can significantly affect recruitment strategy, squad planning and managerial support. Roma appear to be reshaping their football structure to suit Gasperini, which could improve long-term alignment but also adds short-term uncertainty during the transition.
Roma could gain longer-term strategic alignment under Gasperini, but the ongoing executive reshuffle introduces short-term uncertainty.
Treat this as a medium-confidence structural club update that may affect transfer direction and internal stability more than immediate match performance.