Daniele De Rossi deserved better from
the club he served for 18 years than to be refused a contract
extension forcing him to seek employment abroad, Roma coach
Claudio Ranieri said Thursday.
"Daniele, being the captain and a historic person here,
should have been told in another way and given time to think
about it, but instead this was not given to him," said Ranieri,
a Rome native like the 35-year-old De Rossi who said he realised
from ten months of silence that his only club weren't going to
keep him on, before they announced the end of his term earlier
this week.
"For such an important figure and Rome fans having such an
all-consuming love for their team, a more careful consideration
would have advised different behaviour, perhaps".
AS Roma legend De Rossi announced Tuesday that he will leave
the only side he has ever played for and join a foreign club
next season, with the 35-year-old former Italy player's contract
not being renewed for another year.
The former Italy midfielder, a born-and-bred Roman, has made
615 appearances and scored 63 goals for Roma, putting him second
on its list of all-time leading appearance-makers behind another
club legend - Francesco Totti.
The veteran took over the club captaincy when Totti retired
in 2017.
He helped Roma win the Italian Cup in 2007 and 2008 and he
was part of Italy's 2006 World Cup-winning squad.
At his peak he was arguably one of the best defensive
midfielders in the world.
His final game for Roma will be their last Serie A game of
the season against Parma on May 26.
"For 18 years, Daniele has been the beating heart of AS
Roma's team," said Roma Chairman Jim Pallotta.
"From his debut in 2001 to taking on the responsibility of
the captain's armband, he always represented the Roma fans on
the pitch with pride as he established himself as one of the
best midfielders in Europe.
"We will all shed tears when he pulls on the Giallorossi
shirt for the last time against Parma but we respect his desire
to prolong his playing career - even if, at almost 36, it will
be away from Rome.
"On behalf of everyone at Roma, I'd like to thank Daniele for
his incredible dedication to this club and ensure him that our
doors will remain open for him to return to the club in a new
role whenever he wants".
De Rossi said it had not been his decision to leave and the
club had decided not to renew his contract.
"If I had been a director I would have renewed my contract,"
he said.
"I got an idea (Roma were not going to renew the contract)
when I didn't get a call for 10 months, not even to hypothesise
renewing the contract.
"I'm 36 years old and I know this world.
"I felt I could have gone on another couple of years but
these are decisions taken at a club level.
"It was a bit like Del Piero, someone had to put a full
stop."
He denied speculation that he would later go on to be a club
exec like Totti, but added that he hoped Totti got greater
powers.
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