Shakhtar Donetsk manager Paulo Fonseca completes move to Roma
Portuguese manager Paulo Fonseca has been confirmed as the next manager of Serie A giants Roma.
Fonseca had already been considered the frontrunner for the job, but has now been officially announced as the successor of Claudio Ranieri at the historic Italian outfit.
Fonseca, former manager of Braga and Porto, had a very successful time in Ukraine with Shakhtar, able to lift both the Ukrainian Premier League title and the Ukrainian Cup in each of his three years in charge of the club.
He also won both the Ukrainian Super Cup and the Ukrainian Premier League manager of the year in 2017, giving him a total of 7 accolades in his three years at the club.
He also led Shakhtar to the Champions League round of 16 last season, making it out of a tough group containing both Manchester City and Napoli, narrowly losing in the first knockout round to Roma, going out on away goals.
"One of the best managers Portuguese football has to offer"
This should be seen as an excellent appointment by Roma. A really shrewd acquisition by the club who are bringing in a young, enthusiastic coach who plays expansive and entertaining football that ultimately yields the desired results.
He's typically used a 4-2-3-1 formation during his time in Ukraine, and it's really worked a treat, utilising the flair, talent and pace he has in his side to construct a team that loves to play offensive football, even in games where they are unfancied.
He also did an exceptional job at getting the very best out of the players at his disposal, with the likes of Fred and Bernard ultimately earning illustrious moves to the English Premier League for their efforts.
All this makes Fonseca an excellent acquisition, most certainly one of the best managers Portuguese football currently has to offer, and those that have been following his managerial career will have been waiting patiently to see his next move following such a successful time in Ukraine.
It looked for a time that the next destination could have been Everton, although Fonseca ultimately opted to remain at Shakhtar for another season. Now, though, seems like the right time to move on, having completed a treble of doubles with the side and likely taken the team as far as they can go.
Undoubtedly the Shakhtar fans are disappointed to see the 46-year old leave, but most will likely accept that this was a move that he felt he couldn't turn down. Roma, if they give Fonseca some financial backing and support, could have identified the ideal coach to rejuvenate the club.
Paulo Fonseca. Photo author: ФК «Волынь» Луцк. License link.
