Daniele De Rossi has been appointed as the new Roma head coach, replacing Jose Mourinho, who was sacked on Tuesday.
Mourinho was let go on the back of the club’s 3-1 defeat to AC Milan, with the Portuguese boss not in the dugout as he served his latest suspension.
The 60-year-old was sent off in the closing stages of Roma’s draw with Atalanta on January 7, which was followed by a 1-0 loss to rivals Lazio in the Rome derby last week.
De Rossi, who, though he made over 600 appearances in Roma’s midfield, has limited coaching experience having worked with the Italian federation and Serie B side SPAL, who sacked him a year ago. Regardless, he has put pen to paper on a deal until the end of the season.
He played for the club between 2001 and 2019 having joined the club’s academy in 2000, going onto captain the club and win two Coppa Italias before leaving for Boca Juniors.
With Italy, De Rossi was part of the squad that won the 2006 World Cup, coming off the bench just after an hour into the game.
He made his intentions to become a coach clear following his retirement in 2020, starting the UEFA A licence course in December of that year.
After being part of Roberto Mancini’s coaching team for the Euro 2020 success which saw Italy beat England on penalties in the final, De Rossi finished his licence course before becoming a technical collaborator for the under 15 to under 20 youth representatives at the Italian Football Federation.
In September 2022, after helping with the Italian side’s qualification campaign for the 2022 World Cup, he was admitted to the UEFA Pro licence course, before being appointed as SPAL manager.
He lasted just over four months, however, being sacked in February 2022 with the club 18th in Serie B.
‘We are happy to be able to hand over the managerial role of AS Roma to Daniele De Rossi, as we feel that the leadership and ambition that have always defined him can prove decisive in achieving the team’s objectives until the end of the season,’ said owners Dan and Ryan Friedkin.
‘We were aware of Daniele’s unbreakable bond with the club, but his enthusiasm for accepting the position for the next few months convinced us even more of his ability to be a guide for the players and a proud representative of the club’s values. Welcome home, Daniele.’
De Rossi, meanwhile, added: ‘I would like to thank the Friedkin family for entrusting me with the responsibility of Roma’s head coach role. From my side, I know no other way but dedication, daily sacrifices, and giving everything I have in order to face the challenges that await us from now until the end of the season.
‘The excitement of being able to sit on our bench is indescribable. Everyone knows what Roma means to me. However, the work that awaits us all has already taken precedence”.
‘We have no time or choice but to be competitive, fight for our goals, and try to achieve them, which are the only priorities my staff and I have set for ourselves.’