Daniele De Rossi threatened to ‘sue’ journalists during today’s Roma press conference, hitting back at reports of a brawl in training, while opening up on the failed Kevin Danso and Tiago Djaló transfers.
The Giallorossi had a chaotic last few days of the transfer window, culminating in the arrival of Manu Kone from Borussia Monchengladbach.
However, the early part of the week saw reports in the media that there was a blazing training ground row between the coach, Bryan Cristante and Leandro Paredes.
De Rossi wanted to clarify what happened during today’s press conference, with an added warning.
“It is true there was a discussion with Cristante, it lasted about 10 seconds, there was no laying of hands, no strange tone to the event, nothing.
“So there was a foundation of truth, but someone decided to paint a very different interpretation over the top of it, and that is very serious. If people start telling lies, I will have to start suing…
“People said that I got into a physical altercation with one of my players, that is not acceptable and I will not allow it.”
Was there also a row with Gianluca Mancini this week?
“Not even slightly. They told you a lie, perhaps you could’ve tried verifying it. I didn’t even know there was a Mancini rumour, nothing happened at all there,” assured De Rossi.
“This is serious, this is your job to report what happened, not invent things. This is not good for me or the club, you are not helping Roma this way.
“The only kernel of truth is that I exchanged words with Cristante for 10 seconds and we were 20 metres away. I’ve seen hundreds worse incidents in training sessions. You lot turned it into a riot. That’s unacceptable, really bad.
“I am not saying we didn’t have a little argument, I am saying we didn’t get into a fistfight. You cannot expect me to not complain to your face when you write something that is just not true.”
De Rossi regrets over Danso
There was also some controversy and confusion in the media over the failed transfers of Danso from RC Lens and Tiago Djaló from Juventus, as both failed medicals for different reasons.
In the case of Danso, it was the clinical, institutional medical performed by the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) that was failed, without which he would not be allowed to participate in Serie A.
“Some problems emerged that we could not control,” insisted De Rossi.
“It was nobody’s fault, these things just happen. I had talked to Danso about playing in a three-man defence, it would’ve made me happy to have him.”