SAN JOSE — Rome’s sprawling piazzas were barely in the rear view mirror when Jesse Fioranelli uprooted his life to take on one of the biggest challenges in Major League Soccer.

In what is perhaps the Earthquakes’ single-most important hire in the past decade, Fioranelli, 37, has been plucked from storied Italian club AS Roma to transform a lost team into a vibrant playoff challenger.

We have heard it all before on the cusp of a season. But as the Quakes’ 2017 campaign opens against the Montreal Impact on Saturday at Avaya Stadium, team executives talk as if they are on the verge of a long-sought breakthrough. Related Articles Earthquakes’ new general manager: ‘MLS has a lot to offer’

Who’s in and who’s out for San Jose Earthquakes this year

“This year the goal is to make the playoffs,” president Dave Kaval said. “We want to bring this on, not have fear around it.”

Earthquakes ownership in January turned to a Swiss executive who worked at AS Roma, Italy’s Lazio and Turkey’s Samsunspor to change almost everything about how San Jose approaches soccer.

They needed an out-of-the-box move like this because almost everything they tried in the past has failed. The Quakes have reached the MLS Cup playoffs only twice in 10 years, and outside of winning the Supporters’ Shield in 2012, they have been one of the league’s consistently bad teams.

Not even building 18,000-seat Avaya Stadium two years ago changed fortunes as San Jose has missed the playoffs four consecutive seasons. That is quite an achievement in a single-entity league that promotes parity. Only the lowly Chicago Fire can match it.

The crisis has put Dominic Kinnear, one of the best coaches in MLS, in an unenviable position has he begins his third year leading the Quakes. Counting his final season in Houston, Kinnear’s teams have fallen short of the playoffs three consecutive years. After barely missing the playoffs in 2015, San Jose digressed by finishing ninth last season while scoring a paltry 32 goals in 34 games.

But even a coach who led the Houston Dynamo to four MLS Cup finals, winning twice, couldn’t perform miracles with a depleted roster and misguided signings of high-priced designated players who contributed little.

Given the circumstance, one of the main themes of 2017 is whether Kinnear can survive another playoff-less performance.

“It’s always the pressure,” he said. “My message has never changed no matter what the team and who I am working with.”

But with the signing of five young foreign players, Kinnear sounded hopeful he finally has some talent to mold into a playoff-caliber unit.

“I wouldn’t say it is the end of the road, but it is the beginning of a good road,” he said.

Kaval, who called Kinnear’s team “boring” last year, continually says the Quakes have the right coach. So far, he hasn’t decreed a playoff ultimatum.

“It is hard to have such a litmus test like that,” said Kaval, also president of the Athletics. “We feel strongly in Dominic’s ability. He can have a long tenure in San Jose with his hometown club. It’s more about getting him the right talent to be successful.”

Fioranelli, who also worked as a European-based player agent, is in a delicate spot as he gets to know Kinnear. He doesn’t plan to make any rash moves.

“My past has always been trying to create bridges because I am half -Italian, half-American, lived in Switzerland, I got to work in Turkey,” said Fioranelli, who speaks five languages.

His charge is bigger than the upcoming season. Fioranelli has been hired to build a style of play from the youth academy to the senior team that in the coming years will carry a Quakes brand. The broad mandate for change could eventually spell Kinnear’s downfall depending on how the two personalities mesh.

“The reality is Jesse has a lot of expertise,” Kaval said. “Not only for now but where is the league is going over the next five years. We want a general manager who can see forward.”

The team also has seen Fioranelli’s immediate impact with signings that include Danny Hoesen of Holland, Jahmir Hyka of Albania and Florian Jungwirth of Germany. The Quakes also added Harold Cummings of Panama and Marco Urena of Costa Rica.

They look to be a major upgrade from previous player moves. But if Kinnear is relieved by the newfound roster commitments, he isn’t saying. When asked about being given a better car to drive in 2017, Kinnear said, “It’s still in the showroom.”

It’s a fair statement considering the newcomers are virtual unknowns to a coach who grew up in Fremont. Also, Cummings had surgery for a sports hernia last month and the three Europeans didn’t arrive full time until two weeks ago.

“You look at the talent that’s in here, it’s something special,” captain Chris Wondolowski said. “We’ve seen glimpses — a lot of good stuff.”

Fioranelli already has exceeded Kaval’s expectations.

“He knows how to get the deals done,” the president said. “Don’t underestimate that piece of it. He can talk to the agents and figure out a way to bring players in that works for us financially.”

Finding the right international talent is one of the crucial components to MLS success and perhaps one of San Jose’s biggest past failures. Put simply, it cost previous general manager John Doyle his job last summer.

Equally important for the team’s long-term health is a robust youth academy. Fioranelli and technical director Chris Leitch are making a concerted effort to upgrade the program that still is in its infancy.

They eventually hope to train their own players for the senior team like major clubs elsewhere.

“Give us time,” Kaval said. “We’re really hitting on all the areas. In the modern MLS era that’s the only way to be successful.”

It sounds great. Now the Earthquakes have to show long-suffering fans they finally have figured it out.