Eusebio Di Francesco looked back at his acrimonious departure from Roma and remembered how he was the one who trusted in a young Nicolo Zaniolo.
The Italian coach spent almost two years in the Italian capital with the Giallorossi, arriving in June 2017 and leaving in March 2019. He oversaw 87 matches with the club, averaging 1.79 points per match and taking them to the Champions League semi-finals. Since his departure, Di Francesco has briefly spent time with Sampdoria, Cagliari and Hellas Verona.
Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Di Francesco first reflected on his Roma departure and his desire to return to the touchline.
“Let’s say there are some regrets. I have no grudges, just a desire to get back into the game. After all, I also took Sassuolo to the Europa League.
“Returning to the Champions League with the Giallorossi, the ‘remuntada’ with Barcelona was not born in a week, but from a journey. The European mentality is what I like.”
The Italian coach then commented on if things were too corporate in Rome and his initial trust in Zaniolo.
“I’m used to working with what I have, even if sometimes you can make mistakes. I didn’t agree with that market.
“But I was the one who launched Zaniolo, when some clubs didn’t even want him on loan. Instead I made him debut with Real Madrid to make him understand that I believed in him. A bit like I did with Berardi.”
Di Francesco’s last head coach role was an incredibly brief spell with Hellas Verona, where he oversaw four matches – three defeats and a Coppa Italia win over Catanzaro – before being dismissed.