“I don’t think a decision has been made yet,” Montella said on Saturday.

“I do not know if I have lost ground in terms of my Roma future, but the most gratifying thing for me in these months has been the respect from players and directors.”

Montella faces stiff opposition from a number of candidates, including Chievo manager Stefano Pioli, Didier Deschamps and Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti.

“The meeting with Pioli did not annoy me,” Montella said.

“Maybe it would’ve done had it been over the past three months, but I don’t want to talk about this today.”

“I do not need to put forward my own candidacy and I’m not saying that Roma are the best option for me. In any case, I think I’m still in the running.”

Montella has been linked with a move to Catania, where Diego Simeone does not look certain to stay for next season.

“If this side is in its current position, then perhaps it’s because the players did not fulfil their potential. The next coach will be fortunate to inherit a Roma side with a strong desire to prove itself.

“Has an era come to an end? I don’t know, or rather, it’s not up to me.”

Meanwhile, Pioli has confirmed that he has spoken with new Roma sporting director Walter Sabatini.

“Yes, I’ve met Sabatini,” he told TeleRadioStereo.

“It was a positive meeting, but now we just have to wait and see.”

“Obviously it is pleasing that my work is being recognised by such a prestigious club as Roma.”

“I’ll talk with Sabatini again next week, once I have also held discussions with Chievo.”

“My contract is expiring, but I do have the option to stay for a further campaign. I’ll talk with Chievo, then with Sabatini.”

Udinese would book their spot in the Champions League for the first time since 2005/06 if they can achieve the result and Guidolin said they would need to be clinical in the attacking third.

“AC Milan are not just any team but the Serie A champion,” Guidolin said.

“We need one more point but it will be very difficult. We need to be focused and ready for the task that awaits us.”

“We have to make the most of our chances in order to obtain the result that would take us to paradise.”

Lazio, who are two points adrift in fifth, will need to collect three points at Lecce if they are to have any chance of stealing Udinese’s spot.

Juventus are also relying on other results if they are to sneak a European spot for next season.

They host third-placed Napoli and need to win, as well as hoping Roma lose at home to the relegated Sampdoria, to clinch sixth spot.

Second-placed Inter Milan head into their meeting with Catania with the runners-up position already confirmed.

Coach Leonardo will want to go into the Coppa Italia final against Palermo on May 29 with a full strength squad, meaning he will not be taking any risks, while Catania can finish no higher than 10th.

Palermo manager Delio Rossi may do likewise when his team welcomes Chievo with a European spot out of their grasp.

Struggling Bologna, who have survived the drop, will be looking for their first win since March 13 when the relegated Bari visit.

Cagliari will be out to break a four-game losing run when they host Parma, who are unbeaten in their last five outings.

Elsewhere, Genoa and Cesena will do battle and the relegated Brescia will host Fiorentina.

Lecce remain 17th, but are now five points clear of third bottom Sampdoria, who lost 2-1 at home to Palermo.

Jonathan Biabiany had equalised for Sampdoria after Fabrizio Miccoli put Palmero ahead on the stroke of half-time.

But substitute Mauricio Pinilla struck with four minutes to go to see Palmero take all three points.

Coupled with Lecce’s victory, a defeat at home confirmed the end of Sampdoria’s eight-year stay in the top flight.

Like Bari, Brescia went into the penultimate round of matches already relegated to Serie B.

And the poor form that led to their demotion continued with a 1-0 defeat away to Cesena.

At the other end of the table, Udinese remain fourth and on course for a Champions League qualification berth after they beat Chievo 2-0 away from home.

Chilean Mauricio Isla and Ghana midfielder Kwadwo Asamoah were on target for Udinese.

With just one match of the season now remaining, they are two points clear of fifth-placed Lazio, who won 4-2 at home to Genoa.

Roma are out of top four contention after they lost 2-1 away to Catania.

Brazil international Robinho netted twice, while veterans Gennaro Gattuso and Clarence Seedorf were also on target, as champions AC Milan beat visitors Cagliari 4-1 at the San Siro.

Another disappointing season for Juventus took a turn for the worse with a 1-0 defeat at Parma, while Fiorentina were held 1-1 at home to Bologna.

But the day’s most important game will see sixth-placed Lazio welcome Genoa to Rome’s Olympic Stadium, keen to keep the pressure on fourth-placed Udinese in the race for a spot in the Champions League qualifiers.

On Sunday, the match of the round sees Inter Milan with a chance to wrap up second place with a win over third-placed Napoli.

Udinese are away to Chievo Verona while Roma – who are in fifth place, level on points with Lazio and just two behind Udinese – travel to Catania.

Juventus, three points behind Lazio in seventh in the quest for a Europa League place, face a tricky trip to Parma and Fiorentina play host to Bologna.

Sampdoria face a crunch fixture against Palermo, who will be riding high after securing a berth in the Coppa Italia final with a 2-1 win over Milan on Tuesday, as they run out of opportunities to escape the bottom three.

With Brescia and Bari already resigned to life in Serie B next season, Sampdoria are the only team in the drop zone who can escape – with Lecce, who they trail by two points, the team they are most likely to overhaul.

Lecce are away to Bari, while Cesena, who are just four points ahead of Sampdoria, play host to Brescia.

Veteran forward Alessandro Del Piero opened the scoring from the penalty spot on 13 minutes, days after signing a one-year contract extension with the club.

He set up Matri for the second as Juventus looked set to narrow the gap on sixth-placed Lazio to one point.

But goals from Colombian striker Fernando Uribe and defender Gennaro Sardo had Chievo level after 69 minutes.

Juventus could not find a winner, leaving them three points adrift of Lazio and five from fourth-placed Udinese with two games remaining.

The point means Chievo are guaranteed to be in the top flight next season after shooting seven points clear of the drop zone.

The win sees Massimiliano Allegri’s side restore an eight-point lead over defending champions Inter Milan with three matches of the season remaining.

At the other end of the table, Sampdoria came from behind three times to draw 3-3 at home to Brescia.

Visitors Brescia led first through Citadin Eder’s goal five minutes into the second half, with Nicola Pozzi equalising for the hosts on 55 minutes at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris.

Former Sampdoria man Andrea Caracciolo restored Brescia’s lead three minutes later, before Fernando Tissone levelled for the home side just after the hour mark.

Brescia must have thought they had done enough to win when striker Caracciolo netted his second to make it 3-2 with six minutes remaining.

But midfielder Daniele Mannini struck a minute into injury time to rescue a point for Alberto Cavasin’s team.

The draw keeps Sampdoria one point clear of the relegation zone, while Brescia remain second last, five points from safety.

Lecce stay third bottom, one point behind Sampdoria after going down 1-0 away to Chievo.

Udinese suffered a blow in their bid to secure a Champions League qualification berth, when they lost 5-2 away to Fiorentina.

Gaetano D’Agostino and Alessio Cerci both struck braces for the home side at the Stadio Artemio Franchi.

The defeat leaves Udinese fifth, one point behind fourth-placed Lazio, who host Juventus on Monday.

In other matches, Parma defeated Palermo 3-1, while Catania defeated Cagliari 2-0.

Their closest challengers are bitter rivals Inter Milan, in second, and Napoli, a further point behind in third and tussling with Inter for the top two.

Inter and Napoli both play on Saturday, the former at Cesena and the latter at home to Genoa, and should both fail to register a win Milan can wrap up the title against struggling Bologna with three games left in the season.

Although unlikely, current form suggests this scenario is not altogether unforeseeable for Massimiliano Allegri and the Milan squad.

Inter’s form has been questionable lately, especially away from home, where Leonardo’s men have not managed a win in the league since a trip to Sampdoria in late February.

Cesena, meanwhile, have climbed out of the relegation places with an improved run of form through the last two months, losing just one of their past nine games and none at home.

Napoli’s form has also taken an ill-timed dip, conceding second place to Inter with back-to-back losses to Udinese and Palermo.

Mid-table Genoa have reason to feel confident ahead of their trip to the Stadio San Paolo following consecutive wins over Brescia and Lecce, and seem to have picked up a gem in on-loan Udinese striker Antonio Floro Flores.

Assuming Inter and Napoli manage a point or less from their encounters, Milan will have the simple enough task of defeating Bologna – on a four-game losing streak – to wrap up their title.

Elsewhere on Sunday, Udinese can move provisionally into the fourth and final Champions League place on the table – occupied by Lazio – if they find a way past visiting Fiorentina.

Roma will surely maintain their grip on a Europa League spot with a visit to Serie B-bound Bari, while Sampdoria and Brescia fight it out at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris in a relegation dogfight.

Lecce take their relegation-threatened campaign into a crucial encounter at Chievo, Catania do the same at Cagliari, while Parma and Palermo will both aim for a third straight win at the Stadio Artemio Franchi.

Finally, Juventus’ slim hopes of stealing a Europa League berth could be dealt a death blow with a visit to Champions League hopefuls Lazio on Monday.

But Federico Balzaretti equalised on 37 minutes for Palermo, before Cesare Bovo scored the winner for the hosts from the penalty spot in first-half stoppage time.

The defeat leaves Napoli third, six points behind league leaders AC Milan with four matches left to play.

Defending champions Inter Milan remain in contention to retain their title following a 2-1 win at home to Lazio.

The visitors went ahead through a Mauro Zarate penalty after 24 minutes at the San Siro, with Inter goalkeeper Julio Cesar sent off for his part in conceding the penalty.

But the 10 men of Inter equalised through Dutch playmaker Wesley Sneijder, before Cameroon international Samuel Eto’o struck the winner seven minutes into the second half.

Lazio also finished a man down after Stefano Mauri was sent off on 65 minutes.

Inter are now five points behind leaders Milan.

Lazio remain fourth, one point ahead of fifth-placed Udinese, who suffered a 2-0 defeat at home to Parma.

A goal in each half from on-loan striker Amauri gave visitors Parma all three points at the Stadio Friuli.

Udinese had to play out the majority of the match with 10 men following the 20th-minute dismissal of Gokhan Inler.

Roma, sixth, closed to within four points of Lazio following a 1-0 win over Chievo, with Simone Perrotta scoring the winner for the hosts in just the fourth minute at the Stadio Olimpico.

In other matches, Genoa twice came from behind to dent Lecce’s survival hopes with a 4-2 home win.

The defeat sees Lecce slip into the bottom three on goal difference after Sampdoria’s 1-0 victory away to Bari lifted them to 17th.

A brace from Alessio Cerci helped Fiorentina beat Cagliari 2-1 away from home, while Bologna went down 2-0 at home to Cesena.

They have five matches left to try and overhaul the teams ahead of them, with Montella urging his players not to give up yet.

“We must show whether we deserve the Champions League or not on the pitch,” Montella said.

“There is a micro-possibility for us to get back into the race. Lazio might lose in Milan. Then there are head-to-heads.”

“The worst thing that could happen to us would be to have any regrets for not doing something that we could have done.”

“We are going forward with pride and professionalism to honour our fans and ourselves.”

Roma are at home to Chievo on Saturday, with Jeremy Menez expected to start, despite enduring a difficult week off the pitch.

The French midfielder, who is tipped to leave the Stadio Olimpico at the end of the season, had a training-ground row with Montella before his car was pelted with rocks by angry Roma fans.

“We are all sorry about what happened to him, and so are the majority of Roma supporters,” Montella said.

“He is calm and wants to get back to the game.”

Milan head into the match high on confidence having won their past three league games, although they were held to a 2-2 draw by Palermo in Wednesday’s Coppa Italia semi-final first leg.

“We must remain awake because there are five games remaining and if we are not careful, we could also lose,” Allegri said.

“Brescia are fighting to avoid the drop and this is a delicate game for us.”

Allegri will be without strike pairing Alexandre Pato and Zlatan Ibrahimovic through injury and suspension respectively.

Elsewhere on Saturday, Napoli travel to Palermo keen to respond from their 2-1 loss at home to Udinese last weekend.

Third-placed Inter Milan – who are eight points behind the league leaders – play fourth-placed Lazio at the San Siro, sixth-placed Roma host Chievo Verona and Udinese will look to keep their Champions League drive going strong when they welcome Parma.

Seventh-placed Juventus will continue to push for a Europa League berth when they welcome Catania, and Fiorentina travel to Cagliari in a mid-table clash.

Cesena will be keen to move further away from the relegation zone when they visit Bologna, as will Lecce when they travel to Genoa.

And bottom side Bari will confirm their relegation from Serie A should they fail to win against fellow strugglers Sampdoria at the Stadio San Nicola.