Eusebio Di Francesco discussed his favourite memories of Roma as a player, making his Champions League debut and why VAR won’t rule out errors.
He won the Scudetto here as a midfielder in 2001 and has returned as their new Coach.
“I think I took the right path to earn this chance at the club that gave me the most in my football career,” he told the official Roma website.
“I am proud to be the Coach of Roma, because I had great joy and satisfaction here, so I hope to enjoy those sensations again in this new role.
Eusebio Di Francesco discussed his favourite memories of Roma as a player, making his Champions League debut and why VAR won’t rule out errors.
He won the Scudetto here as a midfielder in 2001 and has returned as their new Coach.
“I think I took the right path to earn this chance at the club that gave me the most in my football career,” he told the official Roma website.
“I am proud to be the Coach of Roma, because I had great joy and satisfaction here, so I hope to enjoy those sensations again in this new role.
“A lot has changed since I was last at Roma, including the organisation and way of approaching things, but it’s all improved positively.
“The match I remember most fondly was the 3-3 Rome Derby in 1998-99. We were coming off four consecutive defeats against them and were two goals down. My goal sparked a great comeback completed by Francesco Totti. It turned the tide and is an indelible memory.
“The Scudetto I won here was unforgettable, even if I wasn’t much of a protagonist that season due to a lengthy injury. Roma haven’t won many titles, so to participate in that was extraordinary.”
This will be the tactician’s first Champions League experience after a brief Europa League run at Sassuolo.
“It’ll be a big leap for me, but I am calm. I want my team to face it with determination, not setting objectives. We have to experience it day by day with great enthusiasm.”
Di Francesco was asked about his views of tactically-versatile Alessandro Florenzi, who is on his way back after two serious knee injuries.
“He has this great capacity to adapt to all roles and I’ll try to make the most of that. Players need specific roles, but Florenzi is different to the others.”
This season Serie A will introduce VAR (Video Assistant Referee) technology.
“I like this novelty and we need to evaluate it, but I think there will be problems and errors regardless.”