Roma coach Daniele De Rossi has expressed his readiness to support Daniel Osvaldo, referring to him as his ‘brother,’ following Osvaldo’s disclosure regarding his struggles with depression and addiction. Osvaldo, a former Serie A and Italy striker, candidly shared his experiences in a heartfelt video posted on Instagram on Thursday. De Rossi briefly addressed the matter subsequent to Roma’s 1-0 defeat against Brighton, indicating his willingness to provide assistance and solidarity to Osvaldo during this challenging time.
“I’ll talk to Dani because Dani is a brother to me. We spoke two days ago, after the Fiorentina game, we sent each other pictures of some Fiorentina-Roma games from the past,” the ex-Italy midfielder said at a press conference.
“We have such an intimate relationship that I’d prefer not to say anything, especially because I didn’t know everything. On my side, I can say that I will forever be here for him, like when we were teammates, as he did for me when I went to Argentina. If he wants, I’ll be here for him.”
De Rossi and Osvaldo coexisted for a span of two seasons at the Stadio Olimpico. During this period, the latter, as a former forward, provided support to De Rossi, the 2006 Italy World Cup victor, particularly during the latter’s transition to Argentina to join Boca Juniors in the concluding phases of his professional football tenure.
Osvaldo’s tenure in Serie A witnessed the prolific striker amass a total of 41 goals across 124 matches. His meritorious performance earned him a debut for the senior Italy national team in October 2011. Throughout his international career, he scored twice in 14 appearances for La Nazionale.
In a recent fixture, Roma secured progression to the quarter-finals of the Europa League, notwithstanding a 1-0 defeat against Brighton. This victory came on the heels of their commanding 4-0 triumph at the Stadio Olimpico in the first leg, effectively culminating in a 4-1 aggregate victory over Roberto De Zerbi’s contingent.