Roma Axe Di Franesco

Italian Serie A side, AS Roma have sacked head coach, Eusebio Di Francesco with immediate effect according to a release on the club's official website.

Roma have been in poor form this season, winning just one of their first six games. Currently, they lie outside the Champions League spots on the league table and on Wednesday, we're knocked out in the round of 16 of the Champions League.

The Giallorossi came into the game against FC Portp having won the first leg 2-1 in Rome but were pegged back by the same scoreline to stretch the match into extra time and Porto successfully completed the turn around with a late Alex Telles penalty, deep into extra time.

Di Francesco's job has been under the light for a while but the Champions League exit seem to have fuelled the decision, having reached the Semifinals of the competition just last season.

A host of names are already been touted to replace the sacked Italian coach, among them Claudio Ranieri.

Ranieri who like Di Francesco was recently sacked by Fulham is seen as the favourite for the job but other candidates include Laurent Blanc and Paulo Sousa.

Di Francesco who won the Scudetto with Roma as a player in 2001 having spent four years, returned as manager in 2017.

After guiding the Giallorossi to a third place finish in the league, he followed that with a semifinal berth in last season's Champions League.

Enroute that feat, he masterminded a comeback against Barcelona having lost the first leg 4-1 in Spain but could not repeat the same feat in the semifinal against Liverpool who dumped them out 7-6 on aggregate.

The current season however has not been any where near impressive with the club lying fifth on the log and three points off Inter who are in fourth place.

Roma return to League action on Monday when they face Empoli as they look to secure at least a top four finish to qualify for the Champions League.