De Rossi: ‘I want to coach Boca’

Former Roma captain Daniele De Rossi has revealed his dream of returning to coach his former club Boca Juniors.

The Giallorossi legend spoke to La Nacion about his 'short but intense' experience in Argentina and revealed he wants to return one day, hoping to get an opportunity be at the helm in the Xeneizes dugout.

“I have in mind the idea of returning as the coach of Boca,” he said. “I could be last on the list, but my idea is that.

Former Roma captain Daniele De Rossi has revealed his dream of returning to coach his former club Boca Juniors.

The Giallorossi legend spoke to La Nacion about his 'short but intense' experience in Argentina and revealed he wants to return one day, hoping to get an opportunity be at the helm in the Xeneizes dugout.

“I have in mind the idea of returning as the coach of Boca,” he said. “I could be last on the list, but my idea is that.

“If things had gone well, I would have already met Nico [Burdisso] and started my coaching career at the club.

“It was before the small family problems began.”

In January, the soon-to-be 37-year-old retired after struggling with injuries and said he felt ‘the need to be back with my family’.

However, the former midfielder revealed Boca Juniors tried to make him stay and described the moment that made him realise he needed to go back one day.

“The day I terminated my contract, I was in the Bombonera offices and suddenly I saw the Copa Libertadores trophy in a window.

“I said to myself: ‘I haven’t left anything as a footballer, that’s why I want to return as a coach because this team is in my heart’.

“I already told Paolo Goltz that I want him as my assistant.”

In the end De Rossi decided to end his stint in Buenos Aires early and moved back to Italy to be close to his oldest daughter.

“It was an incredible but short experience, too short for what I wanted to do. But it was very intense. Very strong.

“I wasn’t used to it, the change, let alone to a new country. And when I first do it, I travel to the other side of the world, where nobody knew me. In Italy there were thousands of people asking me where I was going.

“Argentina is full of criminals; they kill you there for taking a taxi at night. It’s dangerous. I chose to go anyway, and I was comfortable and happy.

“But I missed my oldest daughter, she needed me.”