De Rossi: Lifelong Roma loyalty was ‘bad for career’ but ‘no regrets’

Daniele De Rossi spent 18 seasons as a player for AS Roma, fulfilling a childhood dream but potentially limiting his chances for major trophies. The former midfielder and manager recently opened up about his career choices in an interview.

De Rossi joined Roma’s youth academy at age 12 and went on to make over 600 appearances for the senior team between 2001-2019. Though he acknowledged staying at Roma for his entire career may have been a “bad footballing decision” in terms of winning silverware, De Rossi expressed no regrets about his loyalty to his boyhood club.

“When you’re from Rome, you dream of playing for Roma,” De Rossi explained. “I had opportunities to join bigger clubs, but I chose to stay. While it wasn’t the best decision for my football career, I’m at peace with it.”

The midfielder came close to winning Serie A multiple times with Roma, finishing as runners-up on nine occasions. “We had some great seasons where we challenged for titles, even against teams with much bigger budgets,” he said. “The fans appreciated our efforts and performances even if we fell short of winning the league.”

De Rossi also revealed how a tactical switch in his youth career set him on the path to becoming one of Italy’s top midfielders. Originally a striker, he was moved to midfield during a youth match and impressed enough to catch the eye of then-Roma manager Fabio Capello.

“That moment changed everything for me,” De Rossi recalled. “I played well in midfield, and soon after I was training with the first team. Capello gave me my chance and I never looked back.”

While De Rossi’s playing career was defined by his loyalty to Roma, his brief stint as the club’s manager earlier this season showed the difficulties of top-level coaching. Despite this setback, De Rossi’s legacy as a Roma icon remains firmly intact.