Marcello Lippi hailed Daniele De Rossi, even if he “is a little too exuberant on the pitch. We begged him to calm down…”
The former Italy Coach spoke on a TV special ahead of Euro 2016.
“At the age of 20 he made me realise he was wasted in the Under-21s and he had to step up a level. He made his debut in Palermo and scored a goal, going on for an extraordinary career.
“He has this desire to do well, to learn and to pass on his qualities to the others.
Marcello Lippi hailed Daniele De Rossi, even if he “is a little too exuberant on the pitch. We begged him to calm down…”
The former Italy Coach spoke on a TV special ahead of Euro 2016.
“At the age of 20 he made me realise he was wasted in the Under-21s and he had to step up a level. He made his debut in Palermo and scored a goal, going on for an extraordinary career.
“He has this desire to do well, to learn and to pass on his qualities to the others.
“A defect is he can be a little too exuberant on the pitch. We begged him to calm it down a bit, but that’s what he is like.”
That was evident when the Roma midfielder was sent off in the 2006 World Cup.
How do you tell a player he is not going to be a part of the tournament?
“It’s not hard telling a player, as from the first day they know your way of dealing with them and so they slowly understand it’s their turn to stay at home.