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7 months ago
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Roma have confirmed Daniele De Rossi 'will stay' at the club beyond the end of the season, thanks partly to his transformational work guiding the Giallorossi to the Europa League semi-finals.
The 40-year-old, who was appointed Roma boss in January hours after the Italian side sacked Jose Mourinho, celebrated with his team on Thursday night after they claimed a 3-1 aggregate victory against Serie A rivals AC Milan.
The Italian World Cup winner's contract was initially set to expire at the end of the 2023-24 season, but having guided Roma to fifth place in the Italian top-flight - winning 26 points from 11 matches - the club's owners have rewarded the former Roma midfielder for his work.
'After meeting yesterday [Wednesday] afternoon with Daniele De Rossi, we are delighted to announce he will continue as Head Coach of AS Roma after this season and for the foreseeable future,' Roma owners Dan and Ryan Friedkin said in a statement on the club's website.
'In his short tenure as Head Coach, the positive impact that his leadership has brought to the entire club has told its own story.
Roma have confirmed Daniele De Rossi will stay at the club beyond the end of the season
Roma owners Dan and Ryan Friedkin (centre and right) lauded the Italian for the 'positive impact' he has had
De Rossi guided his old club into the semi-finals of the Europa League with a win vs AC Milan
'Daniele leads with respect and courage, while his strength and deep-rooted belief in the club are truly aligned with Roma's values, city and unparalleled fans.
'We will continue to work together as hard as we possibly can to deliver a future that AS Roma's fans deserve. We couldn't be happier to build a long-term project with Daniele.'
Under De Rossi, Roma have won eight matches, drawing two and losing only once in Serie A.
His arrival may have come at a pivotal moment for the club, who were in disarray after falling to ninth in the league standings under Mourinho, prior to the Portuguese coach's departure.
De Rossi, who made 616 appearances for Roma as a player, orchestrated a huge victory against AC Milan on Thursday night, with his side trumping their Serie A rivals 3-1 over the two legs.
After finding the back of the net in their opening fixture, Gianluca Mancini would return to score again in the first 15 minutes of the match. Paulo Dybala would double their lead ten minutes later, with a stunning goal from long-range, while Matteo Gabbia would pull a goal back for the visitors in the 85th minute.
Fans have also been reacting to a humorous clip of De Rossi giving instructions to his players during the game. After going 2-0 up, the Italian cut an animated figure on the touchline, waving his hands in fury to his team, after Diego Llorente ran to the touchline to ask him a question.
After the match, De Rossi admitted that there was no better way to celebrate signing a new contract than claiming a berth in the Europa League semi-finals against Milan.
'There’s no better way,' he said. 'I was a bit fearful that this fantastic piece of news could overshadow the rest of the day because we had to focus on that and I was worried that tonight’s result could take away from some brilliant news.
Paulo Dybala scored to help Roma seal a 2-1 victory (3-1 agg) at the Stadio Olympico
Despite the win, De Rossi was seen fuming at some of his players on the touchline
'It turns out we were treated to an exceptional performance by the players. I’m so proud to be their coach because they knew how to do it all.
'They managed to make a good start and play well. They managed to find space in behind, as shown by the second goal, which was exactly what we were trying to do.
'They also knew how to dig in just like top sides do. Real Madrid showed us that last night. Top teams have to know how to dig deep when they go down to ten men or when there’s a period in which strong opposition put attacks together.'
Roma will now play Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League semi-finals, with the first leg taking place on May 2.
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