Lorenzo Pellegrini was supposed to be anywhere but the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday. Roma tried to get rid of him in January, offering him to Inter as a makeweight in their unsuccessful bid to sign Davide Frattesi. They pushed even harder in August, contracting intermediaries to find him a new home. Talks were held with teams including West Ham and Besiktas, but none were able to strike a deal.
How had it come to this? Pellegrini was once a beloved club captain. A Rome-born Roma supporter, who joined the club’s academy before his 10th birthday, he was the heir to Francesco Totti and Daniele De Rossi, the latest in a line of homegrown captains.