Daniele De Rossi is glad that Gian Piero Gasperini is taking over Roma and feels regret PSG coach Luis Enrique didn’t last longer with the Giallorossi. ‘He was a mentor to me.’
The former midfielder started the season on the Roma bench, only to be sacked a few weeks into the campaign for Ivan Juric, who in turn was fired to bring in Claudio Ranieri.
Now the Giallorossi will start afresh once more this summer with Gasperini, who has left Atalanta after nine remarkable years.
Gian Piero Gasperini, head coach of Atalanta, greets the crowd prior to kick-off in the Serie A match between Genoa and Atalanta at Stadio Luigi Ferraris on May 17, 2025 in Genoa, Italy. (Photo by Simone Arveda/Getty Images)
“If people start doubting someone like Gasperini, then we can no longer even talk about football,” De Rossi told Sky Sport Italia.
“With the resources at his disposal, he did incredible things. I hope one day to face him as an opponent.”
Luis Enrique, head coach of PSG looks on during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD5 training session at Football Arena Munich on November 25, 2024 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)
De Rossi is in Munich to watch tonight’s Champions League Final between Inter and Paris Saint-Germain.
Luis Enrique speaks Italian and has experience of Serie A thanks to his year as the coach of Roma, where a certain midfielder called De Rossi was in the squad.
“His strength is his credibility. He believes in his ideas, both football and human, and cares a great deal that different roles are respected,” explained the Italian.
“He is perhaps the coach who impressed me the most in my career. We got to know each other slowly, I had to spend that summer in Rome because I’d just had surgery on my ear, and so I got to see he was always at the training ground.
“We got to talk and he would tell me his philosophy of the Barcelona B team. He insisted age was not important, the only things that matter are ideas.”
That experience only lasted for one season in 2011-12 and was Luis Enrique’s first senior management job after leaving the Barcelona youth academy.
“I do believe that was a sliding doors moment for Roma, because if he’d stayed, I am convinced we could’ve had an interesting journey together,” added De Rossi.
Daniele De Rossi head coach of AS Roma during the Serie A TIM match between Udinese Calcio and AS Roma at Dacia Arena on April 25, 2024 in Udine, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)
When it comes to tonight’s Final, there is some awkwardness for the 2006 World Cup winner, especially with so many former Serie A figures in the PSG squad.
“I am pleased to see so many familiar faces, including Gigio Donnarumma and Marquinhos, although they were practically babies when I knew them. I love Simone Inzaghi, while Luis Enrique was a mentor to me.”
So who is De Rossi cheering on this evening in Munich?
“I’m a bit torn, as I have friends on both sides.”
