Former Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has yet to decide on his next career move, but AS Roma, who once showed interest in him, now find themselves searching for a new manager once again.
Ten Hag was dismissed by Manchester United at the end of October following a disappointing start to the 2024-25 season.
His successor, Ruben Amorim, was appointed shortly after, with an agreement between United and his former club, Sporting Lisbon, finalised on Monday.
Ten Hag had joined United in 2022 after a successful stint with Ajax, but Roma had previously shown interest in him years before.
In 2019, Roma explored the possibility of hiring him but eventually opted for Paulo Fonseca.
When Fonseca left in 2021, Roma appointed former United manager José Mourinho.
Mourinho’s time in charge ended in early 2024, and since then, Roma have cycled through two managers.
While there have been no recent reports linking Ten Hag to the Serie A club, Roma’s interest in him back in 2019 was serious.
At that time, Erik ten Hag was in high demand after guiding Ajax to the brink of a Champions League final.
Roma had parted ways with Claudio Ranieri, who had joined on a short-term basis midway through the previous season, and viewed Ten Hag as a strong managerial candidate.
However, according to reports from De Telegraaf in 2019, a potential move was never realised.
Ajax were reportedly angered by Roma’s conduct during negotiations for star player Hakim Ziyech the previous summer, which included denying Roma permission to speak with Ten Hag.
Ziyech, who played a pivotal role in Ajax’s stunning Champions League campaign that season – highlighted by victories over Real Madrid and Juventus – had reportedly agreed terms with Roma.
However, the deal fell through, and the Moroccan winger eventually joined Chelsea in 2020, going on to make over 100 appearances for the Premier League club across three seasons.
Roma have had a challenging 2024-25 season despite a busy summer that saw big-money signings like Artem Dovbyk and Matias Soule.
Former player Daniele De Rossi lasted only until September, while his successor Ivan Juric was dismissed after just two months.
Under Juric, Roma have won just one of their four Europa League matches and are languishing in the bottom half of Serie A.
The 4-0 defeat to Bologna on Sunday marked their fourth loss in five games under Juric, and he was sacked later that same day.
“We would like to thank Ivan Juric for his hard work these past weeks,” a club statement read.
“He handled a difficult environment with the utmost professionalism, and for that we are grateful.
“We wish him all the best in his future endeavors.
“The search for a new head coach has already begun and we expect an announcement in the coming days.”
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