Gasperini refused to let Massara on Roma team bus during internal conflict | OneFootball

Roma have officially parted company with sporting director Ricky Massara, but this has been an inevitable conclusion for several months, especially after a major clash among the Giallorossi senior management that involved Gian Piero Gasperini refusing to let his colleague board the team bus after a Serie A defeat against Atalanta.

What led to the falling out between Gasperini and Massara at Roma?

Gasperini has won the war that threatened to derail Roma’s 2025-26 season. The head coach had a major and incredibly public falling out with senior advisor to the club, Claudio Ranieri, and once Ranieri left the Giallorossi set-up, it was always expected that Massara would follow.

Gasperini has spoken previously about how he considers Massara to be a ‘good person’, but never denied that there was a lack of understanding on a sporting level.

As per La Gazzetta dello Sport, Gasperini was often left frustrated by the length of time it took Massara to get signings over the line, on top of the fact that the players he brought in were not always of the required standard or profile to fit the coach’s vision. Massara, meanwhile, will argue that he was affected by the financial regulations that continue to impact Roma on the transfer market.

BOLOGNA, ITALY – APRIL 25: Gian Piero Gasperini, Head Coach of AS Roma looks on during the Serie A match between Bologna FC 1909 and AS Roma at Renato Dall’Ara Stadium on April 25, 2026 in Bologna, Italy. (Photo by Emmanuele Ciancaglini/Getty Images)

La Gazzetta dello Sport claims that there were two main events that signalled the beginning of the end of the relationship between Gasperini and Massara, though.

The Pink Paper reports that after Roma lost 1-0 away against Atalanta on January 3, Gasperini refused to let Massara onto the team bus on the way back to the airport, forcing the sporting director to make his own way back in a taxi. It is believed that this was Gasperini’s way of saying ‘go away and find us some new players’.

Additionally, Gasperini refused to attend a post-match press conference after a home victory against Lecce on March 22, which La Gazzetta dello Sport claims was in response to a round of criticism from Massara during his pre-match interview.

WALSALL, ENGLAND – AUGUST 06: Frederic Massara, Sporting Director of AS Roma, looks on prior to the pre-season friendly match between Aston Villa and AS Roma at Pallet-Track Bescot Stadium on August 06, 2025 in Walsall, England. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)

From here, it became clear that the situation was becoming untenable. While Ranieri left his position with Roma in April, Massara stayed on for another month and continued to work on Paulo Dybala’s contract renewal, but now that an agreement on that front appears to be wrapped up, Massara has made his exit as well.