AS Roma confirm De Rossi exit – but midfielder will not retire
AS Roma have confirmed iconic midfielder Daniele De Rossi will leave the club at the end of the season – but the veteran will not retire.
The 35-year-old has been a stalwart for the Italian giants, making over 600 appearances since his debut in October 2001.
De Rossi set to leave Roma: Five things to know…
- After 18 years at the club, Roma have confirmed De Rossi will leave at the end of the season.
- The 35-year-old has made over 600 appearances for the Giallorossi, scoring 63 goals.
- He also helped the club win back-to-back Coppa Italia titles in 2007 and 2008, as well as the 2007 Supercoppa Italiana.
- At international level, De Rossi earned 117 caps for Italy, winning the 2006 World Cup along the way.
- In their official statement, Roma confirmed De Rossi will continue playing beyond his exit from the club.
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De Rossi helped Roma win back-to-back Coppa Italia titles in 2007 and 2008 while at international level, he scored 21 goals in 117 caps for Italy, winning the 2006 Fifa World Cup with the Azzurri.
Roma currently sit sixth in Serie A, three points away from the Champions League places with two fixtures remaining: away to Sassuolo and at home to Parma.
The Giallorossi confirmed De Rossi’s impending departure with a statement on their official website which read: “AS Roma can confirm that Daniele De Rossi’s 18-year playing career with the club will come to an end at the conclusion of the current season.
“De Rossi, a Rome native and graduate of the club’s academy system, has made 615 appearances and scored 63 goals to date for the Giallorossi in all competitions, putting him second on the club’s list of all-time leading appearance-makers.
“He joined the club he supported as a teenager in 2000, going on to make his first-team debut in 2001 before quickly proving himself to be one of the greatest midfielders in the world.
“A dominant presence in the heart of midfield for nearly two decades, De Rossi eventually inherited the club captaincy from another Giallorossi icon, Francesco Totti – the one player ahead of him in Roma’s list of appearance-makers – in 2017.”
What next for De Rossi?
Despite confirming he will leave Roma, the club’s statement went on to say that De Rossi will not be retiring from professional football at the end of the season: “De Rossi will not be retiring from professional football at the end of the current season. The 35-year-old plans to pursue a new adventure away from Rome.”
Club president Jim Pallotta added: “For 18 years, Daniele has been the beating heart of AS Roma’s team.
“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.”
