Roma legend Francesco Totti insists he has no problems with Daniele De Rossi and hopes Ivan Juric continue on a successful path at the Stadio Olimpico even if Bryan Cristante and Lorenzo Pellegrini must ‘regain’ the fans’ trust on the pitch.
Former Roma and Italy striker Totti released the first interview since Roma sacked his former teammate Daniele De Rossi, hiring Juric instead.
The ex-Torino coach is unbeaten in the opening three matches in charge of the Giallorossi.
“Let’s say that he started off on the right foot. Two victories and one draw,” Totti told Sky Sport Italia on Tuesday.
“We all know that Roma is an exigent place. Hopefully, he can take a good path in Serie A and Europe.”
Only a few days before Roma owners effectively sacked the former midfielder, Totti had warned De Rossi that the club could treat him like José Mourinho.
“I’ve spoken to him as I did before,” said Totti.
“We don’t only talk about football; we also talk about private life. Somebody has amplified everything, saying there were problems between me and him during his time on the bench. On the contrary, I think that we are two friends and we often talk. Someone speculated that he said certain things about me inside Trigoria, but it was not true. We were talking about other things, not Roma.”
Fans have booed Italy internationals Cristante and Pellegrini as they thought they had a role in De Rossi’s sacking.
“This is what happens when things don’t go well,” Totti said, replying to a question about the Roma pair.
“I’ve always said that Roma is a tough place. If you don’t have the right character and motivation, you struggle. We are talking about two big players who can do and will do well at Roma. Now, it’s up to them to regain the fans’ trust on the pitch. The rest is secondary.”
Roma’s next match is against IF Elfsborg in the Europa League on Thursday, October 3. They will visit Alessandro Nesta’s Monza on October 6 in the last Serie A game before the October break.
