Leonardo Spinazzola admits he has been ‘fortunate’ to work with Daniele De Rossi as a teammate, member of staff and now Roma coach after their iconic EURO 2020 image.
The new coach makes his debut on the bench against Verona at 17.00 GMT.
You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from this game and Udinese–Milan on the LIVEBLOG.
Of course, De Rossi spent decades playing for the Giallorossi and was teammates with several of the current squad, including Spinazzola.
Above all, there was an iconic image of De Rossi as a member of Roberto Mancini’s staff carrying Spinazzola – who was on crutches following Achilles tendon surgery – so he could participate in the EURO 2020 Final celebrations.
“I was fortunate enough to play with Daniele in the Nazionale, then was again fortunate to have him as part of the staff in the Euros,” Spinazzola told DAZN.
“He was already acting like a coach when he was a player on the pitch. He is a great man and has already passed on so much. That Final was an unforgettable moment.”
De Rossi was drafted in because Jose Mourinho was sacked, so had this dismissal become inevitable?
“The club made this decision, I don’t know, we had always given it our all with Mr Mourinho. Results count in football, we know that, and we hope to start again on the right foot.”
The biggest blow was the Coppa Italia quarter-final defeat to arch-rivals Lazio, while they also slipped down the Serie A standings in the race for a top four finish.
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