Former AS Roma director of football Walter Sabatini has accused Everton’s potential owners, the Friedkin Group, of ‘unbearable arrogance’ in their handling of affairs at the Italian group.
Tuttomercatoweb cover comments from Sabatini today, made to Il Messaggero, in which he lays into the American owners.
The Friedkins are set to take over at Everton in the coming weeks after reaching an agreement with Farhad Moshiri to buy the club in September.
Their plan, according to their own words, is to create a relationship between Everton and Roma, having owned the latter since 2020.
While the take over at Everton is being completed, they are batting to put out fires in Rome after an angry reaction from the fanbase to the sacking of club legend Daniele de Rossi.
He was hired as manager last season and handed a new contract in the summer but sacked following a disappointing start to the season.
That’s sparked a furious reaction from the fanbase, who have already forced the resignation of CEO Lina Souloukou and plastered Rome in posters calling for the American owners to go. Another protest is planned this week ahead of the clash with Inter Milan.
Several Roman figures, such as Claudio Ranieri, have also criticised the would-be Everton owners and Sabatini is the latest to add his voice to the chorus.
“Foreigners must be given time to settle in, even if it seems to me that Roma they don’t understand where they are, just as the Friedkins didn’t understand. They never spoke to people, it’s an act of unbearable arrogance,” he said.
“I would never have kicked him (De Rossi) out. If they called him back it would be bad for both Juric and Daniele: he would return to the locker room weakened. Mourinho? Frankly, I haven’t seen any benefits, apart from winning a cup.”
