Roma chief Monchi admits the club always had plans to hire former player Eusebio di Francesco.
Di Francesco has been a revelation since his summer arrival from Sassuolo.
Monchi is a former Sevilla director, so his first thought was for Sevilla Coach Eduardo Berizzo, who has been diagnosed with prostate cancer.
“I send a strong embrace and wish Berizzo all the best for this difficult journey, hoping he finds a positive solution," Monchi told Mediaset Premium.
Roma need only a point to qualify for the Champions League Round of 16 and eliminate Atletico Madrid, after Chelsea won 4-0 away to 10-man Qarabag.
“We started watching Di Francesco at Sassuolo two years ago, when they had a good run in Serie A and qualified for the Europa League.
“My work is to watch everything I think is interesting in football and the journey Eusebio had at Sassuolo was certainly interesting."