AS Roma kick off their post-Jose Mourinho era with a triumphant debut for Daniele De Rossi, securing a 2-1 win against Hellas Verona.

Daniele De Rossi, the new head coach of AS Roma, got off to a winning start with a 2-1 victory over Hellas Verona. The Giallorossi climbed up to eighth in the Serie A table with goals from Romelu Lukaku and Lorenzo Pellegrini, while Verona remained in the relegation zone.

For De Rossi, a legendary former Roma midfielder, it was an ideal start to his coaching career at the club. He was appointed on a contract until the end of the season following the sacking of Jose Mourinho.

Speaking after the match, De Rossi expressed his pleasure at the support he received from the fans. “It was pleasing,” De Rossi said. “When I came to watch games here, even just walking around the city, I always felt the affection of the fans. This is a different role, so while I felt very emotional, there was also a lot of pressure, as I have a job to do. I heard the fans calling me during the game and I could not be happier.”

At the final whistle, De Rossi took his squad to celebrate in front of the ‘Curva Sud’ stand, creating a heartfelt moment. Reflecting on the experience, De Rossi said, “It is one of those moments that will remain in the photograph album of my life. I joked many years ago that my greatest regret was that I had only one career at Roma. Now it seems the second has been given to me and we’ll see how long it lasts.”

Despite the victory, there were messages of support for Mourinho in the stands. However, with De Rossi in charge, Roma wasted no time in breaking the deadlock. Stephan El Shaarawy set up Lukaku in the 19th minute, who scored his 15th goal of the season across all competitions. Just six minutes later, El Shaarawy played a pivotal role again, flicking on a cross for Pellegrini to smash a shot into the roof of the net, doubling Roma’s lead.

Verona had a chance to get back into the game when they were awarded a penalty, but Milan Duric missed from the spot. Verona did manage to pull one back in the 76th minute through Michael Folorunsho, but Roma held on to secure the victory.

The win moved them within two points of the top four, intensifying the battle for European places. On the other hand, Verona’s disappointing campaign continued, as they remained winless in 11 away matches.

Overall, it was a successful start for De Rossi as Roma’s head coach, and he will be looking to build on this victory and continue to win over the fans with his team’s performances.