Daniele De Rossi wants to continue playing for a while yet, whether it’s at Roma or not, but will be in tears if he ever leaves. "I'm fully aware my career choices were 'wrong.'"

The midfielder sat down for a long interview with Undici magazine and you can read the rest of it here and here.

On the verge of turning 34 in July, his thoughts moved to the future.

Daniele De Rossi wants to continue playing for a while yet, whether it’s at Roma or not, but will be in tears if he ever leaves. "I'm fully aware my career choices were 'wrong.'"

The midfielder sat down for a long interview with Undici magazine and you can read the rest of it here and here.

On the verge of turning 34 in July, his thoughts moved to the future.

“The Trigoria training ground is a place I feel incredible affection for. Thinking that one day it won’t be part of my daily routine hurts. Maybe it will be in other roles, I don’t know, but I can’t think of not seeing Roberto Porreca, the kit manager I’ve known since the youth academy, or the guys in the bar who made me breakfast more times than my grandmother, my mother and wife put together.

“If I think these things, it makes me sad. This is the place where I spent most of my life. One summer I went to empty my locker, because I thought that I was leaving. I was crying my eyes out on the road, despite the fact I wasn’t going to war or anything.”

De Rossi’s contract is due to expire this summer, but he is in no hurry to sign an extension.

“It’s something that sooner or later I will have to face with the club, but I am not thinking about it now and I’ve decided not to talk about it either.

“I have decided that I want to continue playing for a while. That is without doubt, 100 per cent. I might’ve considered it if I kept getting injured the way I did last year, taken time out to travel the world with my family.

“My only regret about staying at Roma is that I never got to experience the atmosphere in other countries, such as in England or Spain, outside the stadiums. I would’ve liked to know how you live elsewhere.

“I was always fully aware that my career choices were ‘wrong’ on a professional level. They were read as choices of great altruism, of love for the shirt and the fans, but that’s only part of it. The other side is that my choice was very egotistical, because I needed to play for Roma.

“I get physical and emotional pleasure playing with this jersey on my back. The years when I was about to leave, I’d step on to the field with tears in my eyes. Looking around and thinking it might be my last match at the Olimpico…

“Those moments made me realise I couldn’t live without Roma. It would’ve hurt me more than missing out on a Real Madrid-Barcelona experience, or playing in England’s most beautiful stadiums. At least that’s how I view it.

“At the age of 33, I have reached the calm realisation that I’m well aware I haven’t won or travelled that much.”

And yet, De Rossi does have a World Cup winner’s medal from 2006 with Italy.

“It’s paradoxical because I won at the age of 22. That means setting you up for a great future and expectations around you. First the European Under-21 Championship, then the bronze medal at the Olympics and boom, World Cup winner.

“Maybe that was my real problem, that I didn’t continue winning. At that moment, my telephone was exploding with calls, every day a new club who wanted me.

“They kept saying this Coach wanted to talk to me, this President was ready to sign a blank cheque. It was wonderful, but at the end of the day I was always aware leaving Roma would make me feel terrible.

“Maybe I could’ve been in a Champions League Final, or a Real Madrid-Barcelona. I always said I wanted to play for Boca Juniors, to be on the field at the Bombonera for Boca-River Plate. It’s the most beautiful stadium in the world.”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Tickets Kit Collector