Daniele De Rossi has had a great start to life as the new Roma coach, and his chances to remain in charge at the Stadio Olimpico in 2024-25 are rising.
Eyebrows were raised when the former Italian midfielder and Roma legend replaced José Mourinho in mid-January. The Portuguese coach had a special place in the hearts of Roma fans, despite frankly disappointing results in Serie A over his two-and-a-half-year reign.
Mourinho had reached two European Finals, winning the Conference League in 2021-22 and finishing as Europa League runner-up in the following campaign, but his Roma side had never been credible top-four contenders in Serie A. In addition to that, Mourinho’s contract was due to expire in June 2024, and his frequent outbursts towards referees and, partially, the club convinced Roma owners to change the guard and give Trigoria’s keys to a very familiar face.
De Rossi stepped in, signing a contract until the end of the season and a bonus in case of Champions League qualification. Will Roma make it under their ex-midfielder? It’s hard to say because the Giallorossi don’t lack contenders, especially Atalanta and Bologna. Sports betting sites allow fans to gamble on which Italian clubs will qualify for the 2024-25 Champions League but, at the same time, it is also possible to place bets on De Rossi’s future at the Stadio Olimpico.
As we have already mentioned, the ex-Italy international’s contract runs out in June, but clearly, managing to qualify for Europe’s elite competition and achieve a target that Mourinho missed twice would give DDR a huge chance to remain in charge of the team in 2024-25.
De Rossi, who had only coached Serie B side SPAL before his appointment at the Stadio Olimpico, has earned 15 points in his opening six Serie A matches, losing to Inter and beating Torino, Frosinone, Hellas Verona, Cagliari and Salernitana. You may argue that most of these clubs are involved in the race for survival, but guess what? Mourinho had only earned eight points against the same opponents in the first part of the campaign.
The way De Rossi has achieved these results is also quite impressive. Roma are more attacking-minded than under Mourinho; they tend to concede more goals but are way more spectacular and, most importantly, De Rossi’s playing style is bringing the results Roma owners and fans hoped for.
Last but not least, some players seem reborn after De Rossi’s appointment. Lorenzo Pellegrini has been scoring consistently in 2024, Chris Smalling has finally returned to action and even Renato Sanches has been involved as a substitute in some games.
There is still a long way to go before the end of the season, and anything can still happen, especially considering that the Giallorossi can also qualify for the Champions League by lifting the Europa League trophy. Surely, De Rossi’s future is tied to the team’s results, like any other coach, but the early signs suggest the 2006 Italy World Cup winner has a decent chance of remaining in charge in 2024-25.