Analysing Daniele De Rossi’s Career Achievements | OneFootball

There are a handful of players in the history of football who have gone on to become world-class managers. Carlo Ancelotti, Franz Beckenbauer, and Pep Guardiola are but a few who reached the top of the sport on the pitch and the sidelines. Former Italy and AS Roma midfielder Daniele De Rossi hopes to follow in their footsteps with his boyhood club. The Roma manager has only been in charge for a few months, but their supporters already dream of long-term success. Below is our analysis of De Rossi’s player and head coach career.

An AS Roma Legend

Daniele De Rossi was virtually a one-club man during his career, as he only played for AS Roma in Europe. He started as a youth player with Ostia Mare before making his way to the capital club as an academy product in 2000. He quickly made his first team bow in 2001, playing 459 times for Roma before departing in 2019.

De Rossi had a short stint at Boca Juniors in Argentina, playing five games from 2019 to 2020. However, his career was eventually cut short due to injury, forcing him to retire and consider his next life phase. Rather than going into punditry, like many ex-players these days, he decided to try his hand at management.

Where Else Could De Rossi Have Played?

Many fans, especially those who grew up watching him play, ask whether Daniele De Rossi could have starred at another club.

As we can see from the latest Premier League odds, many fantastic teams in England could have benefited from a player of his ilk when he was in his prime. Teams such as Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, and Liverpool would have thrived with De Rossi marshalling their troops and dominating midfield.

While he was mostly known for his defensive steel in midfield, he was also an adept passer with an eye for goal. De Rossi, who scored 43 times for Roma, had a similar style to England great Steven Gerrard. Given how well Gerrard performed in the Premier League, there is no doubt De Rossi would have succeeded in England as well.

Journey to Becoming a Manager

When De Rossi retired from the sport in 2020, he almost immediately decided to go into coaching. While he was linked to top Serie A jobs, he instead became Roberto Mancini’s assistant coach for the Italian national team.

De Rossi and Mancini proved to be a great duo, along with the rest of the Italy staff. They mastermind a hugely impressive Euro 2020 triumph, which saw them defeat home team England at Wembley Stadium on penalties after a 1–1 draw.

The result saw De Rossi’s stock rise as a coach as he quickly moved to complete his licenses. He eventually landed a job in the Italian Serie B for SPAL. However, his tenure only lasted from October 2022 to February 2023, before he lost his job.

Scoring the AS Roma Job

Most managers only get a crack at a top job if another coach performs poorly. The case with De Rossi and AS Roma is rare, as the previous manager, Jose Mourinho, had just won a trophy with the club. Roma won the Europa Conference League two seasons ago before losing the Europa League final to Sevilla last season.

With Mourinho coming so close to another trophy, most fans expected he could get to see out the third season. However, the club’s American owners made a change, as they felt Mourinho’s outspoken comments in press conferences were causing disharmony.

Jose Mourinho on the pitch pre-game at the Stadio Olimpico Olympic stadium in Rome. (Photo by Andreas SOLARO / AFP)

The ownership group turned to a club legend in De Rossi to replace Mourinho, as they wanted him to bring back the feel-good spirit within the Roma fanbase. To his credit, De Rossi has done just that and then some.

His Roma team is firmly among the most feared sides in Italy, as he has pushed them up the table into fifth place. Roma were much further down the table when Mourinho lost his job, with De Rossi showing tactical aptitude in his first Serie A job.

How Will AS Roma Finish the Season?

With only five rounds remaining in Serie A, the race for top four remains wide open. Although Inter already clinched their league title, there’s still plenty on the line in the final matchdays, including Champions League qualification spots. While Milan sit second with 70 points, only a handful a points separates Juventus, Bologna, Roma, and sixth-placed Atalanta.

Plenty of pressure will be on the Giallorossi in the final month given they still have to face Juve and Atalanta. Nonetheless, the fact they’re even in contention end their six-year Champions League drought is a testament to the work done by Daniele De Rossi since his takeover for Jose Mourinho in January.