Trouble brewing as Roma seek hangover cure

Wandering around the ancient city's historic centre, remnants of Roma's 2001 championship success can still be seen, fading like the memory of their long-awaited Scudetto.

Tattered red and yellow ribbons hang from street lamps and window ledges in the Roma stronghold, a constant reminder of the month-long party that celebrated their first league title for 18 years.

The hangover has lasted two years as the flagbearers of southern Italy struggle to find the kind of form that saw them end the north's stranglehold on the coveted 'little shield'.

Last May Roma finished a respectable third, but this time around even Chievo, a team owned by a cakemaker and run on a shoestring budget, finished comfortably above them.

While Serie A rivals Juventus, Inter Milan and AC Milan made up the top three in Italy and all reached the last four of the Champions League, Roma finished the season in eighth position.

Their own Champions League campaign started promisingly with a first phase victory at then holders Real Madrid, before they stumbled out in round two due to an alarming lack of goals.

As if to emphasise Roma's shortcomings, Milan, who finished 26 points behind Roma in 2001, defeated league winners Juventus in Wednesday's all-Italian Champions League final in Manchester.

Qualification for next season's UEFA Cup (by virtue of reaching the Italian Cup final against Milan, who have already booked their place in the Champions League) has failed to paper over the cracks of a disappointing campaign and thrown the future of Roma coach Fabio Capello into doubt.

Italy's unforgiving media have already been speculating on possible replacements, with Rome-born Carlo Mazzone earmarked as one of the favourites after he quit his post at Brescia earlier this week.

Capello however has insisted he is staying put and is clinging to the belief he can turn the club's fortunes around with a little fine tuning.

"It's not in my character to quit and I want to stay at Roma," he said.

"I am happy in the city and am convinced we can return to winning ways.

"I have put together a list of players I would like to see at the club and feel that we are not as far behind Juventus and Milan as people think."

His optimism may not be shared by demanding president Franco Sensi, who has openly criticised Capello for the team's poor run and accused him of angling for a move to another club.

But Sensi, whose opinion of Capello seems to change as often as the wind, insists this week that his relationship with his coach is a sound one.

"Of course we don't always see eye to eye but technically he is very good at his job," said the Roma supremo.

"Our relationship is not as serious as a marriage. Maybe we are more like two lovers quarreling."

Capello is hoping to turn Roma into a team that can seriously challenge for the Scudetto once again by delving into the transfer market. Yet despite promises that the cash will be splashed this summer, reinforcements may not be forthcoming.

If recent reports are to be believed that players' salaries are to be cut by 25 percent, further unrest can be expected in the Eternal City.

After the final league match of the season captain and club talisman Francesco Totti said Roma could only arrest their alarming slump if they brought in new faces.

"As skipper I will use all my influence to make sure that happens," said Totti, who was born and bred in the capital and whose family are seventh generation Romans.

"We need to do that if we are to compete with the likes of Juventus, Milan and Inter."