Daniele De Rossi has emphasized that he did not fundamentally alter the Roma squad upon replacing Jose Mourinho but rather, he respected and maximized their existing attributes. Since assuming the role, the club icon has experienced remarkable success in his coaching career with the Giallorossi, winning six out of seven Serie A matches, with their sole loss against Inter. In their recent victory at Monza’s U-Power Stadium, Roma secured a 4-1 result with goals from Lorenzo Pellegrini, Romelu Lukaku, Paulo Dybala, and Leandro Paredes. Although Andrea Carboni’s late goal prevented a clean sheet, Roma still emerged with three points.
“If this is Roma tonight, I must work to ensure we can play the same way on Thursday, then the game after that and after that,” De Rossi told DAZN.
“This was already a united group before, I did nothing about that. If you are not solid, you don’t go all the way in two consecutive European competitions.
“I try to be honest with players, treat them as human beings first and players second, to be clear if I see something I don’t like. Obviously, I have an advantage that I already knew a few of them and was their teammate, so they went easy on me.”
This outcome places Roma a mere point behind Bologna, currently occupying the fourth position in the standings, intensifying the competition for Champions League qualification. At the time of De Rossi’s appointment in January, the team was positioned ninth.
“I worked on their fitness, tactics and my ideas of football. I like that we played better today than last week, the team is improving and understanding what I want from them, how to develop this style of football. It needs a real physical effort and work off the ball, otherwise it becomes futile.
“I try to put quite an attacking team out, as I know there are players who can score at any moment. There are characteristics that these players have which must be respected and made the most of.”
Under the guidance of De Rossi, Dybala has thrived, showcasing improved fitness and netting four goals in his recent performances in Serie A.
“We are very pleased with his daily attitude, he likes to work hard and when he’s not training, he still comes to cheer on his teammates. Obviously, along with being a professional and rediscovering his fitness, he is also putting this different level of talent onto the pitch. We cannot deny he is of another level.”
Rasmus Kristensen received a booking, rendering him ineligible for the upcoming week due to suspension. Additionally, he incurred a muscular injury, prompting his withdrawal from the match.
“I have to say, when Kristensen was hurt and I turned around to the bench, there was Zeki Celik, a Turkey international who always trains at full steam, never complains and comes on to put in a great performance. So when I talk about individual talents, I also mean the more ‘invisible’ ones who are not in the papers, but they are the ones who help you win trophies or achieve results.”
Roma aims to maintain their current momentum as they enter the Europa League, where they will face Roberto De Zerbi’s Brighton and Hove Albion on Thursday evening. Meanwhile, Brighton suffered a 3-0 defeat against Fulham in today’s Premier League fixture.
“Even the best performance has some negatives. We did not concede on a cross from the by-line, but we nearly did, and a few long balls surprised our defence. We need to work on all these situations, but the team is already tighter and has a higher press than when I arrived.
“The more you play against strong opponents, the more they will highlight if you are not perfect.”