AS Roma has officially concluded their partnership with sporting director Ricky Massara. However, this separation has been anticipated for several months, particularly following a significant altercation among the Giallorossi’s senior management. A pivotal moment occurred when Gian Piero Gasperini, the head coach, barred Massara from boarding the team bus after a Serie A loss to Atalanta.
Root Causes of the Gasperini-Massara Rift at Roma
Gian Piero Gasperini has emerged victorious in a dispute that jeopardized Roma’s 2025-26 season. The coach experienced a very public and intense falling out with Claudio Ranieri, a senior advisor to the club. With Ranieri’s departure from Roma, it was widely expected that Massara would follow suit.
Gasperini has previously acknowledged Massara as a “good person” but never concealed the lack of mutual understanding on a sporting level.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Gasperini frequently expressed frustration with Massara’s prolonged negotiation periods for player signings. Furthermore, the players acquired often did not align with the coach’s strategic vision or profile requirements. Massara, in turn, would contend that he was constrained by the financial regulations that continue to affect Roma’s transfer market activities.
La Gazzetta dello Sport identifies two key incidents that marked the beginning of the end for the Gasperini-Massara relationship.
The publication reports that after Roma suffered a 1-0 away defeat against Atalanta on January 3, Gasperini prevented Massara from joining the team bus returning to the airport, compelling the sporting director to arrange his own taxi. This action was interpreted as Gasperini’s signal for Massara to depart and secure new players.
Additionally, Gasperini boycotted a post-match press conference following a home win against Lecce on March 22. La Gazzetta dello Sport suggests this was a reaction to criticism directed at him by Massara during a pre-match interview.
From these events, it became evident that the situation was becoming unsustainable. While Claudio Ranieri resigned from his role with Roma in April, Massara remained for an additional month, continuing his work on Paulo Dybala’s contract renewal. With an agreement on Dybala’s contract now seemingly finalized, Massara has also departed the club.