Roma Hold Key Advantage In Search Of A Top Four Finish
Roma's confirmation of Daniele De Rossi gives the club a huge boost
There are a lot of moving parts in Serie A this summer. Juventus, Napoli, Milan, Bologna, Fiorentina and Lazio will all change coaches by the time the new season begins in late August. However one of the clubs who will enjoy some stability is Roma.
The Giallorossi made the smart decision in giving Daniele De Rossi the keys to the team on a permanent basis before the end of last season. The club icon had done a tremendous job in steadying the ship after hitting the rocks under Jose Mourinho.
De Rossi steered Roma to the semi final of the Europa League, and almost turned the tie around against Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen, but ultimately falling short in the final minutes of the second leg in Germany.
De Rossi got Roma’s players playing again, which couldn’t be said for the dying days of the Mourinho era, in which the usual railing against officials became the order of the day as results diminished and the end felt inevitable.
De Rossi came into the club and was like a breath of fresh air; no circling referees to demonstrate against decisions; a 4-3-3 system with players able to swap positions mid-game if it was called for, and a more fluid style that was more pleasing on the eye.
De Rossi impressed the club’s owners to such an extent that he was handed a new contract weeks before the season ended. De Rossi lost just four league games after taking over from Mourinho in mid-January, but this summer he’ll be able to construct the team fully in his image.
Read the full article by Emmet Gates on Forbes