De Rossi, Instagram live videos and baseball bat 'to th teeth'

Daniele De Rossi is the new Roma coach who will be on the bench at his favourite Stadio Olimpico in Rome for the first time against Hellas Verona. A Rome native, a Giallorossi fan, De Rossi, just like Francesco Totti lived the dream and played for his boyhood club and even captained it. Unlike Totti, he left the club and played for one more year in Argentina (Boca Juniors) before retiring and becoming a coach. After the (un)expected sacking of Jose Mourinho in mid-week, inexperienced De Rossi accepted to be on the hot seat with the contract for only six months (June 2024).

And for all those unfamiliar with Roma boss, here is one ‘classic’ statement from the time he was still a player (aged 33).

"When we started out, it was all different, that was 20 years ago. Now a 20-year-old will get into the first team and have more Instagram followers than Messi. When I was young, the older players would say 'it wasn't like in my day' – that's life and it always will be. Mind you, some of them irritate me too. When I see them do live Instagram videos from inside the locker room before a game, I'd like to take a baseball bat to their teeth” he told Undici magazine back in 2017.

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So, as long as the young players in Roma's locker room are not doing Instagram videos before the game, they will be fine with De Rossi. But how will he play? He is not a fan of the three-man defence, which is how Mourinho played; he loves Luis Enrique and Luciano Spalletti but will probably end up playing Carlo Ancelotti’s tactics.

“I fell in love with this job with Luciano Spalletti and then Luis Enrique. These types of coaches, who put lots of men up front and automatically play a four-man defence, made me fall in love, gave me inspiration and my best seasons. However, this team has been playing a three-man defence for years. They were built to play three at the back. We’ll wait until the last minute to decide. We’ve tried both ways. I might also switch it up during a match or throughout the season. Some matches we might play with three at the back, and others with four. It’s also down to our game plan and who our opponent is” he said at his first press conference.

The Italians media believe he will end up with a so-called ‘Christmas Tree formation’, the 4-3-2-1 popularized by Carlo Ancelotti at Milan. He should start with Rui Patricio at the goal, with Karsdorp, Llorente, Huijsen and Spinazzola at the back. Pellegrini, Paredes and Bove should command the midfield, while Dybala, El Shaarawy and Lukaku will be upfront.

SERIE A

Saturday

20.00: (1.50) Roma (4.20) Verona (8.00)

22.45: (4.50) Udinese (3.60) Milan (1.90)

Sunday

14.30: (2.45) Frosinone (3.45) Cagliari (3.05)

17.00: (2.85) Empoli (3.20) Monza (2.55)

20.00: (3.70) Salernitana (3.20) Genoa (2.25)

22.45: (5.70) Lecce (3.50) Juventus (1.68)

***odds are subject to change