Italy coach Luciano Spalletti warns Daniele De Rossi about ‘professional scarers’ but feels Roma fans will love him ‘just as they loved José Mourinho.’
De Rossi has been appointed as a Roma coach to replace Mourinho, signing a contract until the end of the season.
He will make his debut in the Giallorossi dugout on Saturday in a home Serie A game against strugglers Hellas Verona.
Spalletti coached De Rossi in the capital and spoke to La Gazzetta dello Sport about the former midfielder’s appointment at the Stadio Olimpico.
“It’s a nice feeling, I am happy and smiling. I always hug my players and support them when they face new experiences. I even do it with those who don’t hug me back and it’s not Daniele’s case. He has always given me something back,” said the Azzurri coach.
“He was an extraordinary footballer because he had a sense of the team. He had strong feelings towards his teammates and fought for them. I don’t remember a single game where he let me down under this aspect. He was a sensitive champion, sometimes he lost sight of himself, but never of Roma”.
De Rossi was Roberto Mancini’s assistant during Euro 2020 and was appointed by Serie B side SPAL in 2022-23, but only remained in charge for 17 matches. So, how must he approach this new chapter of his career?
“With great joy. It’s a key crossroads,” Spalletti replied.
“This moment determines if he will double up his fantastic career in football. He had it as a footballer; he can have it as a coach, too. I am sure he will be so happy. I imagine him like an enthusiastic kid in a pyjama who jumps on his bed because he has received what he wanted the most in the world.
“He will have to watch out for professional scarers, he should not be afraid of them,” warned Spalletti.
“They are those who will tell him every five minutes that he risks a lot, that he has no experience and that it would have been better if he had returned to Roma later.”
Spalletti started his coaching career from ‘Allievi’ a category in Italy’s youth sector. Shouldn’t De Rossi have followed a similar trajectory?
“No jokes, if I had been asked: ‘Do you want to start from Allievi or Roma?.’ I would have replied: ‘You can start with Allievi, I’ll take Roma.'”
SPAL appointed De Rossi in October 2022 but he only won three games out of 17 and was sacked the following February. Spalletti feels De Rossi’s only experience as a coach of a professional team can be helpful.
“What happened is a big help. When great champions start coaching, they think the footballers’ level is the same as theirs, so they start losing references. Now, he better understands what it means to go on the bench,” he replied.
“Surely, we’ll see a good team and I will follow them closely because they have several players I’m interested in for the national team. When we start visiting training camps again, the Giallorossi will be among the first ones. I’ll be sorry not to find Mourinho, but I’d be happy to see him.”
Spalletti confirmed he has been in touch with De Rossi over the last few hours: “Well, he always has WhatsApp open, and we have a continuous relationship,” he admitted, and lastly, he said DDR would handle the pressure well.
“He knows the environment so well. With Francesco [Totti], he took responsibility in difficult situations. The fans will love him, just as they loved Mourinho and Daniele will have a chance to crown a big dream. His Roma as a footballer all life long, his Roma as a coach, all life long.”
Quite a gamble appointing DeRossi. Roma shoulda gone for Ventura or Giampaolo. Or bring back DiFrancesco.
Six games he will be gone @the Roma circus