Monchi arrives to take over as AS Roma's director of football

Former Spanish footballer Ramon Rodriguez Verdejo 'Monchi' arrived on Monday in Italian capital Rome, to sign a contract with AS Roma as the club's new director of football in the coming hours.

The Italian capital club reported on its Twitter account that Monchi had arrived at Fiumicino airport. Several Roma officials received Monchi at the club's sports center of Trigoria on the outskirts of the capital, and it is believed that he will be attending Roma's Serie A match against Pescara at the Stadio Adriatico, reports Efe.

Monchi is a one-club man, who spent his whole career as a Sevilla player, and then took up administrative roles to develop the club's youth system, as well as stepping up its competitiveness, but eventually he terminated his contract with the Andalusian side on March 30.

Roma's new director of football met with officials from the Italian club in London in February, and he is expected to sign a three-year contract.

Monchi is in for a bumpy ride in Rome, with many issues awaiting him, such as the future of head coach Luciano Spalletti, and what becomes of Roma's long-serving captain Francesco Totti, whose contract will expire in June.

--IANS

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