Roma boss Di Francesco given 16 days to save his job

Goals from Andrea Petagna and Kevin Bonifazi fired SPAL to victory at the Stadio Olimpico, ending Roma's four-game winning run and giving them the worst possible preparation for their Champions League clash with CSKA Moscow in midweek.

Following the defeat, Roma sit sixth in Serie A, with reports in Italy claiming that the club's American president James Pallotta was so frustrated with the performance that he wanted to sack Di Francesco in the dressing room.

However, he was dissuaded from doing so by consultant Franco Baldini, with Di Francesco now having four games to prove he is the right man for the job.

The results against CSKA (home and away) in the Champions League and tricky-looking Serie A clashes with Napoli and Fiorentina will decide the former Sassuolo boss' fate.

That seems strange considering the 49-year-old guided the Giallorossi to third place in Serie A and the Champions League semi-finals last season, but their inconsistency is believed to be a real concern for club bosses.