Leroy Rosenior said Daniele De Rossi urging Italy to introduce Lorenzo Insigne was “passionate, patriotic and he’s a braver man than me,” but fuels anarchy.
The incident during the second half of Italy’s World Cup play-off with Sweden went viral, as De Rossi was caught on camera complaining that he was asked to warm up.
Leroy Rosenior said Daniele De Rossi urging Italy to introduce Lorenzo Insigne was “passionate, patriotic and he’s a braver man than me,” but fuels anarchy.
The incident during the second half of Italy’s World Cup play-off with Sweden went viral, as De Rossi was caught on camera complaining that he was asked to warm up.
During the 0-0 draw, which saw the Azzurri crash out 1-0 on aggregate, the veteran midfielder protested: “We need to win, not draw” and pointed to teammate Insigne instead.
Germany Coach Joachim Löw called it “a moment of greatness,” but former player Rosenior took a slightly different approach in his column for The Guardian.
“I have felt De Rossi’s anger – the frustration of watching my team struggle while sitting on a bench yards from the play – and I know that pain and feeling of helplessness at being unable to alter the course of an important match (too many times, I may add!) but also trying to keep my emotions in check when negative events are unfolding.
“What De Rossi did was passionate, patriotic and from his perspective in the best interests of his team. Of that there can be no doubt.
“I have huge respect for his courage and he’s a braver man than me but, while we all want to see that passion in every one of the players who represent our team, the truth of the matter is more pragmatic and less romantic: if we did see that every week, there would be anarchy running through every dressing room, creating dysfunctional hierarchies and damaging a team’s performance on the pitch.
“It’s the manager’s job to make the big decisions and that’s how it must always be.”