The Italian Daniel De RossiRoma’s new coach until the end of the season after the sacking of the Portuguese Jose Mourinhoannounced this Friday that he signed the contract with almost no negotiations, for “the amount the board wants“, although he requested a bonus should he finish in the top four and access the Champions League.
“Dan and Ryan Friedkin (owners) were very clear about the length of the contract and the nature of my stay. I signed for the amount they set, I only asked for a bonus for the Champions League. No more variables or renewals. No more, just a 6-month contract,” said the new coach in his first press conference, before the duel against Hellas Verona this Saturday.
“I asked them to treat me as a coach, not like a legend or a former player. “I will fight to the death to stay here,” he added.
De Rossi, who as a player inherited the captain’s armband from the legendary Francesco Totti, an absolute legend of the club, admitted that he had spoken to the historic footballer: “We called, he gave me a lucky message and told me how surprised he was. Until again”.
Another with whom he maintained contact was Mourinhowhich the Saudi press has already called the new coach of Al-Shabaab from Belgium Yannick Carrasco or the Argentine Ever Banega.
“I messaged him, he wrote to me when I was accepted at SPAL, a gesture I had to do. If he is good enough, you have to ask him; “I don’t care anymore, with all due respect,” he said.
About his sudden arrival, he said: “Roma are not rejected, it also happened to Pirlo years ago when he accepted ‘Juve’. There are men who refuse these types of offers and others who give up.”
“It’s not just a matter of nostalgia for the past, of putting your sweatshirt back on… “I would only say no if I thought the team was difficult, but I don’t think so,” he said.
Furthermore, he mentioned the Olympic Stadium’s strong ties to Mourinho.
“Nobody takes away the love they feel for Mourinho, but nothing stops them from loving me too, to continue the good atmosphere in the stadium. “Obviously they didn’t choose me because of my SPAL results, but because of many other things,” he said.
“When you choose how to replace a coach as beloved as Mourinho you have to consider many factors. If they hire other coaches, the reaction will certainly be worse in the short term. The fans were an important part and the full capacity stadium gave away the points“, he says.
Roma are ninth in the table, just five points away from the Champions League spots. This Saturday they face Hellas Verona, in danger of relegationwith the obligation to win in order to fully enter the fight for Europe.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
