Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini has urged Everton owner Dan Friedkin to take a more hands-on role at the Serie A club, saying the family rarely visits Rome despite their trust and support.
Friedkin, who also owns Everton, has never spoken to Blues manager David Moyes or watched the team play, but at Roma he has been pictured in the stands with his son Ryan and even rode through the Italian capital in an open-top bus in 2022 after the team won the UEFA Europa Conference League.
Gasparini calls for closer relationship
Sport Witness cite Gasperini as telling Corriere dello Sport: "It's a different relationship compared to the one I had with the Percassi family (owners of Atalanta, his previous employers); they were there with the team and with me on a daily basis.
"That doesn't happen with the Friedkin family, yet I always feel their trust and support, even though they live far away and rarely come to Rome.
"Now they've appointed a new CEO, John Galantic, who acts as a slightly closer link between Roma and them."
Friedkin's involvement with Roma
The 68-year-old added: "My goal remains clear: to get them much more involved. Not so much for my own sake, since I can still do my job and do it well, but for their benefit, and likely for the fans and the city as well.
"I believe it is one of my objectives to restore a closer relationship and a greater sense of presence, especially with the centenary and the construction of the new stadium - where they will be investing significant sums - on the horizon. I would like to bring them even closer to the team."
Friedkin, an accomplished pilot, personally flew former Everton striker Romelu Lukaku and coach Jose Mourinho into Rome when they joined the club. He has also been photographed greeting coaches Claudio Ranieri and Gasperini plus players on visits to Roma's training ground.
Last week, at the European Football Clubs General Assembly in Copenhagen, Friedkin was reported by Corriere dello Sport as saying: "Between the stadium and first place, it's truly a great moment for us," referring to Roma topping Serie A and receiving the green light to build a new stadium costing over a billion pounds.
Everton, unbeaten in their first seven matches in all competitions despite a transfer window that left Moyes with just 18 senior outfield players, return to action on Sunday when they travel to Hull City in the Premier League.
