- De Rossi gets first red as manager
- Roma winless in four Serie A games
- Totti hints at De Rossi’s future uncertainty
Was this what Francesco Totti meant when he predicted Daniele De Rossi could become the next José Mourinho? Roma’s match at Genoa had just entered second-half injury time when the manager was thrown out for arguing with the referee’s rulings.
It was the first red card in De Rossi’s managing tenure. Mourinho received seven throughout his two-and-a-half seasons as manager of the Giallorossi. The Italian still has a long way to go, but eight months in, he wonders if he is improving on his predecessor’s efforts in other areas.
De Rossi’s January appointment felt like a collective unburdening. The final chapter of Mourinho’s tenure became an arduous sequence of feuds against officials, opponents, football federations, and even his club for failing to support him following a heated parking lot epilogue to the Europa League final loss to Sevilla.
The results on the pitch mirrored the tone off it. Mourinho’s last seven games included only two victories. De Rossi won six out of his first seven races in Serie A. Even the one defeat was mitigated by fans’ delight in a daring approach versus Inter.
There were few dissenting voices when Roma’s owners, the Friedkin Group, renewed his contract until 2027. The Giallorossi had faded down the stretch, missing out on Champions League play for the sixth year in a row, but there was widespread agreement that the former club captain deserved a chance to make the team his own.
De Rossi predicted Roma would look different this season, claiming they needed to be more dynamic. He instructed Florent Ghisolfi, the club’s new sporting director, to bring him runners of all stripes: marathoners who could cover the pitch and sprinters who could break down opposing defense.
Following previous transfer windows governed by tight financial fair play restrictions, Roma was given more leeway in this window and utilized it aggressively, spending more than €90 million in transfer fees. Among the headline acquisitions is Artem Dovbyk, Girona’s leading scorer with 24 goals last season, Juventus NextGen graduate Matías Soulé, and Rennes midfielder Enzo Le Fée.
Those numbers, as always, should be interpreted with care. Roma’s wage bill was significantly reduced as loan deals for players such as Romelu Lukaku, Renato Sanches, Diego Llorente, Rasmus Kristensen, and Dean Huijsen expired. At the same time, Rui Patricio and Leonardo Spinazzola were allowed to finish their contracts, and Tammy Abraham was loaned to Milan.
Paulo Dybala, the club’s second-highest earner behind Lukaku, was also due to leave until the last minute to turn down a move to Al-Qadsiah in the Saudi Pro League. This choice delighted fans but may have hampered Ghisolfi’s goal of rejuvenating the squad further.
In any event, Roma entered the new season, hoping for a fresh start. In 2023-24, their starting lineups were the third-oldest in Serie A. On the first weekend of the season, they fielded their fifth-youngest player against Cagliari.
The results thus far have been disappointing. Roma drew 0-0 at Cagliari, lost at home to Empoli, and then drew again at Juventus. They were on track for their first victory this Sunday, leading 1-0 against Genoa, when De Rossi was dismissed.
Dovbyk had scored the goal, his first for Roma. An erroneous flag from the assistant referee dampened the joy of getting off the mark in the 38th minute. VAR eventually came to his aid. Roma dominated the first half and should have been awarded a penalty at 0-0 when Koni De Winter clipped Dybala’s heel inside the box. Even after the break, as Genoa gained more possession, De Rossi’s squad had the better opportunities. Dovbyk squandered a chance to double Roma’s lead, striking too near the goalkeeper from close range.
Genoa equalized in the 96th minute when De Winter headed home Vítinha’s cross from the left wing. The game ended 1-1, leaving Roma with no wins in their first four Serie A games for only the fourth time in club history.
It is too early to talk about crises, but Totti’s recent statements with Sky Sport and the publication Il Messaggero have focused attention on De Rossi. When asked if Roma was ready to return to the Champions League, Totti answered, “Considering how much they spent in the transfer window, they need to get there.” If you spend €100 million and don’t get there, it’s a complete failure. Without the Champions League, Daniele will leave before the end of the season.
It appears improbable that Totti wanted to damage De Rossi, a Roma teammate who has remained a close friend for 16 years. At another point in the interview, he stated, “I would not give him a hand, but my entire arm, if it helped him do well and stay calm.”
His thoughts about Roma’s ownership may need to be more positive. When asked why he hadn’t taken on a position at the club personally, Totti said, “I don’t know,” before indicating that some board members may be terrified of his influence. “The things I say are taken seriously. “What other people say is less so.”
Totti’s comparison of De Rossi and Mourinho was a thinly veiled indictment of Roma’s leadership, with the current manager, like his predecessor, potentially becoming a lightning point for discontent. “If the club comes out and lays its objectives out clearly, everything will be calm,” the coach remarked. “But for now, if things don’t proceed as planned, Daniele has full responsibility. The same thing happened to Mourinho when José put his face forward. Nobody assisted him. “Nobody spoke.”
In his post-game press conference on Sunday, De Rossi stated that he could not comment on Totti’s sentiments because they had not spoken in a few days. “All managers are lightning rods,” he explained. “We take responsibility for whatever happens. I was employed during a difficult time for the club, but I believe I earned the right to continue. If following Mourinho’s lead means being sacked if things do not go our way, I believe my fate is the same as any other manager.”
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Where he differs from the Portuguese is his readiness to speak openly about objectives. This time last year, Mourinho refused to answer journalists’ questions regarding the Champions League, claiming he was concentrating on the next game and deflecting with arguments about Lazio spending more on transfers.
De Rossi was more frank on Sunday, adding, “We are a team that needs to compete for the Champions League.” That’s our goal. We’re getting bored of usually coming in sixth.”
Roma has finished in that place four times in the last six seasons, advancing once to fifth and falling the other to seventh. This is extraordinary consistency for a club that has had five different managers and two ownership changes in the same period. They have finished with the same number of points for the past three seasons: 63.
De Rossi did temper his statements, noting that finishing fourth would not be a “failure” in his opinion “because there are other teams too.” His most recent thinking, however, felt the most telling: “It would have done us a lot of good to win here.
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