Roma captain Lorenzo Pellegrini addressed the media ahead of Thursday’s must-win UEFA Europa League encounter against Elfsborg. Among several other topics, he inevitably discussed the notorious dismissal of club icon Daniele De Rossi.
After a four-game winless Serie A start, Roma relieved the former midfielder of his duties. That decision didn’t go well with the Stadio Olimpico faithful, causing an unprecedented arrest among the Giallorossi supporters.
With frustration reaching its all-time high, former Roma CEO Lina Souloukou resigned amid a fan backlash. However, De Rossi’s farewell has coincided with Roma’s uptick in form. New coach Ivan Juric has rekindled the team’s spirit, overseeing back-to-back league wins against Udinese and Venezia.
Juric nearly led Roma to victory in their Europea League opener against Athletic Bilbao, only for the Basque outfit to grab a late equalizer in a 1-1 draw. The former Europa Conference League winners will look to right those wrongs against Elfsborg later this evening.
Pellegrini wanted to thank De Rossi during the pre-match conference.
“First of all, I’d like to thank De Rossi for everything he transmitted to us,” the Roma captain said, as reported by Calciomercato. “It was difficult, he gave us so much on a human level and on the field. For me, he is an exceptional coach, both humanly and professionally.“
The Roma skipper emphasized the team didn’t want the managerial change.
“We didn’t expect his dismissal, the group wasn’t happy with the results but didn’t feel the need to change. We were sure the results would come,” Pellegrini was adamant.
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