Daniele De Rossi is excited to make his management debut in the Europa League against Feyenoord, noting he ‘studied’ Jose Mourinho before making his own Roma choices.
The first leg of the play-off kicks off in Rotterdam on Thursday at 17.45 GMT.
De Rossi makes his debut in Europe as a coach, having impressed with three wins and a hard-fought defeat to Inter in Serie A since replacing Jose Mourinho.
“I am happy to make my debut in Europe, and frankly this was not something I expected so soon,” confessed the former midfielder in his press conference.
“February 14 is my daughter’s birthday and a year ago I was fired by SPAL, so I am grateful to be here now.”
De Rossi had played in this stadium and knows what the passionate home fans can bring, especially with Roma supporters barred from travelling due to security concerns.
“There will be a fiery atmosphere, but then what happens on the pitch is just the players, ideas and football. Feyenoord are a team that know how to play football, I have great respect for them. They have excellent wingers and, despite the wins, the previous matches were very balanced too.”
Roma had never won a European trophy before Mourinho lifted the Conference League, then he helped them reach the Europa League Final last season.
“I remember good and bad moments, such as the 7-1 defeats, but we always got back on our feet. Football is full of such moments, you manage to get the fans back on your side.
“If I have to choose one European night, I’d have to choose our win over Barcelona. That was an absurd, fantastic night, especially considering the strength of the opposition. We were almost always among the top eight teams in Europe and must get back there.”
The 3-0 victory at the Olimpico came after a 4-1 first leg defeat at Camp Nou in an epic Champions League comeback.
“I studied Mourinho’s Roma very carefully, even before when I was simply a fan. He achieved great results in Europe and went all the way for two years running.
“Having said that, every coach has his vision, his preferences and a different approach. I will make a few changes, but I will never do a complete squad rotation of 11 players against Frosinone. It doesn’t look good, it doesn’t help keep players in shape and makes it difficult for those who have never played together.”
De Rossi confessed he must choose between January signing Angelino and veteran Leonardo Spinazzola, while Bryan Cristante is still dealing with his season-long fitness concerns.
Some of the ultras have turned on captain Lorenzo Pellegrini, holding up banners blaming him for Mourinho’s dismissal.
“I evaluate what I have seen since I’ve been here, and I could not be happier with him as captain. He continues to improve.”
#UEL | @OfficialASRoma, #DeRossi: "Un anno fa ero stato esonerato alla #Spal. Oggi sono fortunato a essere qui"https://t.co/lMNE0T5HvA
— Gianluca Di Marzio (@DiMarzio) February 14, 2024