A recent report claims that Dan Friedkin, the prospective new owner of Everton, dismissed Roma’s head coach, Ivan Juric, over the phone before Juric even reached the changing room. This unusual move echoes an infamous moment in Everton history when manager Johnny Carey was fired by John Moores in a London taxi.
Ivan Juric, who joined Roma less than two months ago, received the call from Friedkin immediately after a 3-2 home defeat to Bologna on Sunday. According to Il Tempo via Roma Press, Friedkin, who also serves as Roma’s president, personally called Juric as he walked toward the dressing room at Stadio Olimpico to deliver the news of his dismissal.
In his short tenure, Juric, formerly at Torino, recorded four wins, three draws, and five losses. The latest result saw Roma drop to 12th place in Serie A, with just 13 points from 12 matches.
Roma issued a statement thanking Juric for his professionalism in challenging circumstances and wished him well, while confirming that the search for a new head coach was already underway and that an announcement would come soon.
Juric had replaced Daniele De Rossi, a Roma legend and former midfielder with over 600 appearances, who was dismissed on September 18 after only four games this season, which led to backlash from fans. Before that, Friedkin had also appointed and later dismissed Jose Mourinho, who guided Roma to victory in the 2021/22 UEFA Europa Conference League—Roma’s first European trophy since the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1961.
In September, Friedkin reached an agreement to purchase Farhad Moshiri’s 94.1% stake in Everton. Moshiri, who has seen eight managers come and go in as many years at Goodison Park, has not yet had two managerial dismissals in the same season, unlike Friedkin’s recent record with Roma.
