De Rossi: 'I am property of Roma'

By Football Italia staff

Daniele De Rossi explains the pressure of being a “symbol of Roma. You have no choice. I Daniele De Rossi am the property of Roma fans.”

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“Do you know what it means to be a symbol of Roma? It is an enormous responsibility that you always carry on your shoulders. It means you have no choice,” De Rossi told Il Romanista newspaper.

“When in the past I had offers or we were on the verge of bankruptcy or when things weren’t going well, when someone calls it isn’t you that replies, because I am Roma in the sense that I am property of Roma, of the fans of Roma.

“I Daniele De Rossi am the property of the Roma fans.”

It is a sentiment echoed by his predecessor, Francesco Totti, and the next captain in waiting Alessandro Florenzi, all representing their hometown club.

De Rossi is one of the few solid figures in their team, as this summer in particular there was a massive sea change in the squad.

“This is a healthy group and it helps new players to settle in, welcoming them in a positive and spontaneous fashion. If it were up to me, I’d keep all my teammates, especially as we get very fond of each other and it’s sad when someone leaves.

“Then there are the ideas of the Coach, the President, the director and we have to put all those together. I can’t know about these things and perhaps I’m not supposed to either. I know that this is a strong team with impressive new arrivals.

“Robin Olsen reminds me of Kevin Strootman, as when he arrived, he tried hard to speak Italian so he could communicate with us.”

Being a Roma icon, De Rossi paid tribute to Maria Sensi, the wife of former President Franco Sensi, who died on Friday at the age of 75.

“This news filled my heart with sadness. Maria Sensi watched me grow up at Trigoria and over the years she never stopped ensuring I felt her affection and support, as a real fan. I send a huge embrace to Rosella and her sisters.”

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