Montella doesn't feel like caretaker as Adriano goes AWOL

Adriano flamengo

ROME (Reuters) - New AS Roma coach Vincenzo Montella said he did not feel like a caretaker on his first full day in charge on Tuesday but striker Adriano immediately tested his mettle by not turning up for training.

Former striker and youth-team boss Montella, whose first game in charge is at Bologna on Wednesday, signed a contract until the end of the season after Claudio Ranieri quit on Sunday following the team's 4-3 loss at Genoa.

Adriano flamengo

"I don't feel like a caretaker," Montella told his first news conference, aware of media reports linking Roma fan Carlo Ancelotti with the job if his Chelsea side continue to stutter.

"At the same time, the rumours don't annoy me. To tell you the truth, I'm not annoyed that people are talking about Ancelotti, a person who I look up to a lot."

Adriano flamengo

Montella, nicknamed the "little aeroplane" for his goal celebration, spent most of his latter years at Roma as a substitute and showed he has not lost his famous sense of humour.

"I reckon I've been on more benches in Serie A than many coaches, so I've got a bit of experience," he chuckled.

Adriano flamengo

Adriano's failure to report back to Italy as scheduled after spending the last few weeks in Brazil recovering from a broken arm was no laughing matter, however.

Adriano flamengo

The striker quit Inter Milan to return to Brazil two years ago because of personal problems and Roma knew they were taking a risk bringing him back to Serie A.

Agent Gilmar Rinaldi told Italian media: "Only he knows what he wants to do."