It only took losing the opening two 2009 / 10 Serie A matches for Luciano Spalleti to hand in his resignation papers after four years at Roma.

Via Guardian 

“I have given my resignation and the club have accepted it,” the ANSA news agency reported him as saying this morning.

The 50-year-old Spalletti met club executives after Sunday’s 3-1 home defeat to Juventus, the club’s second loss this season. He had survived a dismal start to the 2008-9 campaign but came into the new season walking a fine line after the team’s sixth-place finish which was not good enough to reach the Champions League.

Italian media has reported that Roma president Rosella Sensi has already met with the former Juventus and Chelsea coach Claudio Ranieri about filling the vacant role.

Roma fans were already disappointed following the club’s failure to strengthen the attacking options in the squad following the sale of Alberto Aquilani to Liverpool for £20m. Defenders Nicolas Burdisso from Internazionale and Marco Motta from Udinese were the most significant buys. Injuries in the pre-season have also hindered Roma with Simone Perrotta, Juan and Cicinho all still recovering from muscular problems.

The new season got off on the wrong foot with a 3-2 defeat at Genoa followed by Sunday’s defeat to Juventus. Roma will next travel to Siena on 13 September.

Image via MrCalcio