He spoke after the Udinese-Roma match Daniele De Rossi.
De Rossi at the press conference
Is the desire to win in El Shaarawy’s entrance?
“I spoke to the boys, I said jokingly that I had no idea what I had to do, I had never prepared twenty minutes of a match. I knew that probably playing with many attackers, perhaps after just one minute I would have to make changes to give more balance or maybe someone he had to warm up so as not to even play, but there was application from all the boys because he was more offensive, but I waited, because last time Udinese were a bit tired especially on the flanks, but today. he was lively. Then it went well on the final corner and it’s not that Stephan didn’t participate a lot (laughs)”.
A great celebration for an important victory.
“I’m usually more composed, in fact I’m sorry to celebrate like this in Udine, a club that has always been very friendly and has behaved well, nothing against them. But the goal was important in an important match, demonstration of a strong team , we often went towards the goal, a team that wants something goes and gets it and sometimes luck repays it.”
Angelino’s choice?
“I put Angelino there for some crosses, I had thought of an even more offensive match but then Udinese’s physical preparation intimidated us a bit. They are three very important points, then our frustration came from something else, we felt we had the right to ask for help in view of the match against Bayer Leverkusen, it seems to me to be a unique precedent that an Italian team is not helped in this sense, then sometimes football gives succulent gifts. Now we will prepare another difficult match, it will be a totally match different from today but we will be ready.”
A judgment on Cannavaro?
“I think he can give a lot, he is a former player and a coach with an above-average intelligence. We clashed last year in a 90′ match, he put us in big trouble. I have already glimpsed what he can do, I think he is the right person to get Udinese out of this situation, but underneath there are people like Nicola who I would never wish to go to Serie B, I like Udinese, the trip is a bit uncomfortable (laughs, ed.), but you will be safe”.
Did you say anything to each other before the match when you said goodbye?
“I usually never say hello to my opponent, but today everything was different. Pairetto wanted to meet us all before the match to clarify again the rules of this recovery and all those unusual details. Afterwards we were alone talking for about twenty minutes, there is also Pinzi, my close friend, Paolo with whom I shared the Under 21 as a roommate. I didn’t say anything to him after the match because I imagine the opposite state of mind.”
De Rossi on Sky Sports
How did the study of this match come about?
“A mix of tactics, on the side where Spinazzola played we had found space, there Evan played who had less push, we put a pushing player, the rest was more logical than tactical, I kept as many players as possible on the pitch who could score individually, I removed top players like Paredes and put in people like Cristante, Pellegrini. I put Angelino in for crosses.”
A different celebration.
“I’m ashamed, everyone makes fun of me (laughs, ed.). I’m really happy, apart from the ranking, it was important in terms of morale, we were down after the defeat against Bologna. I’m happy for the players, they behaved fantastically, there are people who came here sure they wouldn’t play and celebrated, I had already notified the five possible substitutes. There was an incredible participation, something that touched me as a player and does as a coach. Then there was controversy over when we should have played again. We’re sorry to have won in a stadium that treated us so well. We were the first team in the history of Italian football to play a semi-final against an undefeated team who were given one less day to prepare. We will go to Naples with one day less, but the players’ responses make me feel calm, we have a team of wonderful men.”
Does this victory change anything in your preparation for Naples?
“The mood and the standings change, but we have already started studying Napoli, we didn’t have to prepare much here in Udine. Last year Napoli killed the championship, they have very strong individuals. We prepare it like the others, hoping that I get more moves right than Roma-Bologna, it will be a match with a high technical level.”
29 points like Mourinho, in 13 games against 20.
“I look at everything except the chase or the race to see who scores the most points. It is clear that we are doing very well, even if someone forgets. We reopened a discussion that seemed closed, not so much because of the points to recover on fourth place, but because of how many teams we had ahead of us. The boys are doing an incredible job, I don’t think that if the coach (Mourinho, ed.) had remained they would not have recovered because it starts from them and because they are players with a huge heart and those who have a huge heart have the pride of the champions who shoot out of those situations. They would have pulled their heads out even without me.”
