Before his debut match against Verona in round 21 of Serie A, new coach Daniele De Rossi revealed that he had spoken to Jose Mourinho about the job, and wanted to be supported by Roma fans like his predecessor.
"When you have a new coach, the players need to keep the intensity high," De Rossi said on January 19 in his first press conference as Roma coach. "We have to see if they can maintain this intensity for a long time. But the team responded incredibly, trained hard and accepted two or three new requests from me. If I had asked for more, it would have been a mess."
On January 16, Roma announced the sacking of Mourinho despite the Portuguese coach having only six months left on his contract. Hours later, they appointed De Rossi on a short-term contract until the end of the 2023-2024 season.
De Rossi revealed that he had spoken to Mourinho after becoming the new Roma coach and wanted to focus on his professional work. The 40-year-old former midfielder also revealed that his former teammate, Roma legend Francesco Totti, wished him luck in his new position.
De Rossi at his first press conference as Roma coach. Photo: asroma.it
Roma fans have built a strong relationship with Mourinho over the past two years and were furious with the club's owner Dan Friedkin's snap decision. Mourinho joined Roma in the summer of 2021 and guided the maroon side to the 2021-22 Conference League title, their first European title, and to the Europa League final last season - where they lost 4-1 on penalties to Sevilla.
De Rossi hopes Roma fans will continue to support him and his players during the transition, while admitting that choosing a coach who has never been with the club before would have a negative impact. De Rossi is a Roma legend, playing for the club from 2001-2019, scoring 63 goals in 616 games, winning three titles: the Italian Cup in 2007 and 2008 and the Italian Super Cup in 2007.
"Certainly, if Roma had chosen another coach, the reaction of the fans would have been very different. They are an important part of the club," De Rossi said. "No one can cancel the love the fans have for Mourinho, but nothing can stop them from loving me and continuing to support the team. This is a great opportunity for me."
De Rossi stressed that he could not refuse Roma's offer, similar to Andrea Pirlo accepting to lead Juventus in 2020. "Some people refuse and others are not afraid of difficulties," the Italian player expressed. "This is not nostalgia. I believe that the current team of Roma is very strong, and I hope I can make a good impression to develop my career."
De Rossi directs Roma players at Trigoria training ground on January 17. Photo: asroma.it
According to Sky Sport Italy , after leaving Roma, Mourinho has been in talks with Al Shabab and is ready to join the Saudi Pro League club. If the deal is finalized in the coming days, the Portuguese coach will lead Al Shabab to face De Rossi's Roma in a friendly at Al Awwal Stadium, Riyadh on January 24.
In October 2023, Mourinho admitted his desire to move to work in the Saudi Arabian championship in the near future. According to the 60-year-old coach, Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Al Nassr has created a different perspective on football in Saudi Arabia and the country's championship, the Saudi Pro League.
Mourinho has not yet worked directly in Saudi Arabia, but has been involved in a community football project in the Middle Eastern country. In July 2022, he signed a three-year contract to join the board of directors of the Saudi Mahd Sports Academy - a place to discover sports talent in general and football in particular in Saudi Arabia.
Hong Duy
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