Well, this worked out nicely. Roma have sacked manager Eusebio Di Francesco, with the club failing to live up to the lofty expectations of their fans so far this campaign.
They bowed out of the Champions League last night in Porto, falling well short of their semi-final appearance last season. Roma also currently sit outside the top four in Serie A, although they are only three points behind fourth placed Inter.
While their results had improved somewhat after a very poor start to the season (apart from heavy defeats at the hands of Fiorentina and Lazio), the campaign has still been largely disappointing. It had been rumoured for a number of weeks now that Di Francesco was on the verge of the sack, and last night's European exit was seen as the last straw.
As for who is set to replace him, it appears that Claudio Ranieri is set to be given the job. The Italian only left Fulham last week after a disastrous 17-game spell at the London club, with his return to the Premier League not going as planned.
He left Fulham languishing in the relegation zone, and they look all but certain for a swift return to the Championship.
Despite all of this, Roma want him to take over the club until the end of the season. He had a previous 18-month spell in the Italian capital, resigning as Roma manager in February 2011.
His sole objective will likely be to secure a top four finish this season, although that will be easier said than done. AC Milan and Inter currently occupy third and fourth place respectively, and they have displayed much stronger form that Roma in recent weeks.
