If there was one thing that overshadowed the two seasons Paulo Fonseca spent in charge of Roma, it was his struggles to gain results against direct rivals.
It took the coach until his last attempt to get a significant win against a fellow member of the top seven. While the circumstances of that match made it worth the wait, Fonseca leaves the club with an overall negative record in such games.
The explanations for why that happened are unclear, and Roma sometimes didn’t get the results they warranted. Whatever the reasons, Fonseca knew such matches were a major stumbling block.
But they weren’t all negative performances, despite the lack of wins. In fact, under Fonseca, Roma produced the whole range of displays against rivals for the European places.
Here are all the matches against Juventus, Milan, Inter, Napoli, Lazio and Atalanta that he coached with Roma in Serie A, ranked from worst to best.
Embed from Getty ImagesLazio 3-0 Roma (January 2021)
It’s one thing to lose a big game, but another to do so in humiliating fashion against your biggest rivals.
That’s the fate Roma suffered in the first Derby Della Capitale of the 2020-21 season, which was Fonseca’s third experience of the fixture. He made reference to the fact he had never lost a derby in the buildup, but that soon changed.
Roma just weren’t anywhere near up for it enough and suffered a 3-0 defeat. It was the lowest point of Fonseca’s reign.
Napoli 4-0 Roma (November 2020)
Playing Napoli just a few days after the death of Diego Maradona was never going to be easy. It was an emotional occasion for the opponents, who wanted to honour their legend.
But Roma could have still turned up. A loss was maybe to be expected, but the manner in which it was suffered did not sit well. Fonseca’s men were cut open time and again.
While it was fitting for Napoli to win on that day, the lack of competitive spirit Roma showed was unacceptable.
Atalanta 4-1 Roma (December 2020)
When Atalanta’s attack clicks – and it often does – they are a force to be reckoned with. When Roma’s defence falls apart, chaos ensues.
Both those elements came together in the first meeting between the two sides in 2019-20. It was a recipe for disaster.
Roma actually took the lead three minutes in, but capitulated under the pressure that Atalanta turned on. Four goals conceded in the second half made it a miserable day for the Giallorossi.
Roma 0-2 Napoli (March 2021)
Roma had just qualified for the Europa League quarter-finals and should have been buoyant. Instead, they were flat and let Napoli walk all over them.
Dries Mertens scored both goals, but the gap between the two sides felt much bigger.
It wasn’t as hefty a defeat as the reverse fixture, but there was no excuse this time.
Juventus 2-0 Roma (February 2021)
Juventus in 2020-21 were not the force they used to be. But Roma still found a way to lose to them.
It started on a bad note when Fonseca’s defence failed to realise it might have been wise to mark Cristiano Ronaldo. Instead, they inexplicably chose not to and the five-time Ballon D’Or winner set a Juve victory in motion.
This game was an example of when Roma should have had more confidence in themselves, but they had to get the basics right.
Roma 0-2 Atalanta (September 2019)
In his defence, the first time Fonseca faced Atalanta came early in his reign. It was understandable that there would be teething problems at that stage.
But still, Atalanta were a level above and Roma struggled to make their mark on the game. It was a sign of things to come in terms of how they applied themselves in such games.
Letting their guard down late on, Roma succumbed to a 2-0 defeat without scratching the surface.
Atalanta 2-1 Roma (February 2020)
Fonseca already found himself under scrutiny half a year into his stay in the Eternal City. After going four games without a win, the spell culminated with a loss to Atalanta.
Roma took the lead on the stroke of half-time, but as often occurred in big games under Fonseca, they failed to manage it.
Consequently, Atalanta completed a comeback in the second half, sending Roma back to the drawing board.
Milan 2-0 Roma (June 2020)
In their second game back after lockdown, Roma were second best as Milan put two past them without reply.
It would have been the ideal time to build momentum, but their performance against the Rossoneri meant that became impossible.
Fonseca was really beginning to feel the pressure at this stage, but held on to his job.
Roma 1-2 Juventus (January 2020)
Fonseca’s first meeting with the reigning champions (at the time) did not get off to the best of starts. Conceding twice in the first 10 minutes, Roma were already on the backfoot.
But they competed better after that and a Diego Perotti penalty gave them a glimmer of hope. The poor start proved costly though, and there was no way back.
A couple of weeks later, the two sides would meet again in the Coppa Italia, with Roma not learning their lesson and losing again.
Napoli 2-1 Roma (July 2020)
After the June loss to Milan was followed by another to Udinese, Fonseca knew he had to change something. It was at this point that he switched to a back three, although it was a 3-5-2 to start with, rather than the 3-4-2-1 he ended up using for the majority of the rest of his time in Rome.
There were some signs of improvement, but the system wasn’t fully ready yet. As such, Napoli were able to come out on top.
Roma were level going into the last 10 minutes, but mentality issues arose and they let that point slip.
Roma 1-2 Milan (February 2021)
When Roma met Milan in February 2021, their opponents were still very much in a title challenge and Fonseca’s men weren’t far away from the top four. Both those aspirations faded but this could have been a turning point for Roma.
As with every meeting with Milan under Fonseca, Roma were competitive, but couldn’t make the most of their chances. They were let off somewhat after what could have been a disastrous start, but worked their way back into the game.
Jordan Veretout’s equaliser was a fine moment, but his teammates couldn’t build from it.
Lazio 1-1 Roma (September 2019)
Thrown into the deep end, the second game of Fonseca’s reign was the Rome derby.
It started positively with Aleksandar Kolarov scoring against his former club, but in a sign of things to come, Roma couldn’t defend their lead.
A draw was a fair result from a competitive affair, but as always in this fixture, Roma would have wanted more.
Inter 3-1 Roma (May 2021)
With Inter already crowned champions at this stage, they could have taken their foot off the gas, but they still proved a formidable opponent for Roma.
Going two goals down inside the opening 20 minutes, old issues came back to haunt Fonseca. However, Henrikh Mkhitaryan restored some hope.
Roma went on to dominate the second half but couldn’t add to Mkhitaryan’s goal, before Romelu Lukaku scored against the run of play late on to end any hopes of an equaliser. Like many times before, Roma came close but lacked that killer instinct.
Roma 1-1 Atalanta (April 2021)
In a similar pattern, Roma were second best in the first half against Atalanta, conceding just after the 25th minute after an onslaught of attacks.
The Giallorossi made many mistakes at the back and were fortunate to only concede once. But after Atalanta went down to 10 men with 20 minutes left, the hosts grew back into the game.
The equaliser followed not long after, a thunderous strike from Bryan Cristante. In a reversal of fortunes, Roma kept up the pressure, but had left it too late to get going. Ultimately, they didn’t have the conviction that they could complete the turnaround, when in reality they had a decent chance.
Roma 2-2 Inter (January 2021)
Inter seemed like an unstoppable force when they visited the capital midway through the season that would end with them being crowned champions. But Roma threatened to dent their hopes by taking the lead through Lorenzo Pellegrini.
Then, Inter turned things around and went 2-1 up. It looked like there was no way back.
However, in a rare show of spirit in such games under Fonseca, Roma battled back, with Gianluca Mancini scoring a bullet header late on to equalise. It was deserved for their fight in the second half and left a better taste.
Roma 1-1 Lazio (January 2020)
Fonseca’s first derby as the dedicated home team was an end-to-end, pulsating affair. The last derby to have fans in before the lockdown, there was plenty of tension in the air.
Roma took the lead through Edin Dzeko but Lazio equalised via Francesco Acerbi. From that moment on, it could have gone either way.
There were enough chances for Roma to come out on top and they also had faint appeals for a penalty which wasn’t given. Ultimately, after a free-flowing game, they had to settle for a draw. It was probably fair, but it could have been more.
Inter 0-0 Roma (December 2019)
Inter were on a roll in their first few months under Antonio Conte. They had scored against every side they had met in their first 19 matches of the season between Serie A and the Champions League – until Roma visited.
The game that saw Lorenzo Pellegrini wear the captain’s armband as a starter for the first time wasn’t the most thrilling, but Roma showed a stubborn resilience that would have served them well in other comparable games.
Inter only failed to score in three other matches that season, showing the significance of how hard Roma had worked for their clean sheet.
Milan 3-3 Roma (October 2020)
One of the most dramatic, turbulent games of Fonseca’s reign, the draw with Milan towards the start of his second season could have gone either way.
Both teams felt aggrieved at decisions that didn’t go in their favour, but that aside, they produced a fantastic spectacle.
Roma fell behind three times, but equalised on every occasion to claim a result. It was the first time ever they had scored that many equalisers in a match to avoid defeat, demonstrating their much-improved attitude.
Roma 2-1 Milan (October 2019)
The Milan side that Roma beat one year earlier to that was much weaker, but that shouldn’t take away from the fact that, yes, they beat them.
Edin Dzeko and Nicolo Zaniolo scored either side of a Theo Hernandez goal to earn all three points. The former’s goal was a memorable one, as he was wearing a protective mask at the time after a nose injury but still managed to score a header.
Zaniolo’s curler was also aesthetically pleasing, and although the context of how much Milan were struggling at the time takes some gloss away looking back, it was an impressive win nonetheless.
Roma 2-2 Juventus (September 2020)
When Juventus made the surprising decision to appoint Andrea Pirlo as their new head coach in the summer of 2020, it signalled a transition in Turin.
Roma were one of the first teams to try and take advantage of that, and in all honesty, should have beaten them. Jordan Veretout twice gave them the lead, only for Cristiano Ronaldo to cancel both goals out.
Playing against 10 men for around half an hour, Roma could and should have got more out of the game, which would have given them a better platform for the rest of the season.
Roma 2-1 Napoli (November 2019)
Fans sometimes forget that Fonseca won some matches against traditional top-seven rivals in his first season in charge, due to the weaker performances of their opponents.
When Roma faced Napoli in November 2019, their rivals were starting to descend into crisis and Carlo Ancelotti was just one month away from getting the sack. But Roma had their own issues too, with this being one of the games when Gianluca Mancini had to cover in midfield due to there being no other options there.
A win is a win and this game should be remembered for that. Roma went two goals up via Nicolo Zaniolo and Jordan Veretout, with the former’s being one of his best for the club yet. It set them on course for a significant win.
Roma 2-2 Inter (July 2020)
After holding them in the reverse fixture, Roma once again drew with Inter in their second meeting of Fonseca’s first season. This time, they should have won.
Having got back on track following the switch to a back three, Roma went into the game in form and were winning 2-1 until the 88th minute. Then, Leonardo Spinazzola gave the clumsiest of penalties away to hand Romelu Lukaku a gift of an equaliser.
The performance really deserved a win against one of the best of the lot, and it was only an individual error that prevented that from being the case.
Juventus 1-3 Roma (August 2020)
Yes, Juventus fielded a weakened team on the last day of the 2019-20 season, as they looked ahead to their European commitments. But so did Roma.
Hence, no-one can ever take away the fact that Fonseca was the man to end Roma’s long wait for a win at the Juventus Stadium. Nikola Kalinic equalised after Roma went behind and then Diego Perotti, captaining the club on his last appearance, went out on a high note with a brace.
The game also saw Daniel Fuzato and Riccardo Calafiori make their debuts, with the latter having a wonder goal ruled out. It would have capped off a significant day for the club, but the lasting mood was positive nonetheless.
Roma 2-0 Lazio (May 2021)
Those wins against Milan, Napoli and Juventus in his first season were all qualified with some context that reduced their significance. But Fonseca finally got his big win with no asterisks at the final attempt.
And what a way to do it. After a season that had been painful at times, Fonseca’s last home game saw him lead the team to a comfortable 2-0 win over their arch rivals.
Roma hadn’t won a derby under Fonseca before, but he finally put that right when Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Pedro wrapped up a brilliant win. It was a fitting farewell for the coach at the Olimpico.
At long last, his strategy paid off in a big game – and it was the best of all for that to happen in.
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