Did you know? Vincent Candela was the first French player in the history of AS Rome at his signature in February 1997 from En Avant Guingamp. Other French internationals have passed through the Giallorossi like Jonathan Zebina, Olivier Dacourt, Philippe Mexès, Ludovic Giuly, Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa or Steven Nzonzi. Manu Koné is playing there this season.
In addition to having won the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000 with the Blues, Candela, a right -handed side that has established itself as a left piston, has become an essential giallorossi player. He was crowned champion of Italy in 2001 and barely missed the Scudetto in 2002 and 2004. He scored 16 goals (some of which bangers !) In 289 matches, before trying his luck in Bolton in 2005.
Retired since 2007 and a last season in Messina, Candela settled in the eternal city since he is married to a Roman and had four children. He opened a restaurant a few years ago and even a center of Padel. “I did not plan to stay so much, but there is the sun, the sea, we eat well … And then, wherever we look in town, it's a museum!” I have always had a good contact with the city and with the club ”explained the native of Montpellier (and trained at MHSC) at Telegram in 2023.
Candela with the first team
Vincent Candela, a time agent, did not cut with the calcio. He became a consultant for certain media in addition to being one of the ambassadors of Roma. Last week, he spent time with Florent Ghisolfi, the French sports director of Giallorossi. Vincent Candela and Max Tonetto (player from Roma from 2006 to 2010) attended training alongside the French “DS”, before accompanying him for the meeting of Serie a against Hellas Verona, Saturday evening (1-0, goal of Eldor Shomurodov).
Ghisolfi thus benefits from the great experience of Candela, a compatriot who has become a real Roman now. For the last season of Claudio Ranieri (73), the winner club of the Europa 2023 League will try to qualify for a European Cup. The Giallorossi are 6th in Serie A and have three points less than Bologna, the 4th in the ranking. Juventus, 5th, has not yet played its match of the 33rd day due to the death of Pope Francis.
