De Rossi "Would love to be the coach of Roma”

While the Bundesliga and Serie A are eyeing late May returns, despite the World Health Organization advising against relaxing social distancing regulations too soon, today we're going to turn our gaze even further into the future; to the glorious day when Daniele De Rossi assumes the mantle as Roma's manager.

In a recent interview with Sky, De Rossi opened up about the end of his playing days while plotting out his managerial future:

It’s very rare to play 20 years in one club, so my career path has been pretty unusual

I cannot dream of doing the same if I become a coach, because there is no such thing as a job that lasts that long. I would love to be the coach of Roma, but first I have to go through the growth process and career that all young tacticians must experience.

Obviously, I would like to see myself on the Roma bench, but I am in no rush to make it happen tomorrow. If it does happen, it’ll be because I’ve become a good coach rather than having been an important player for Roma.

How impressive is that statement? It's simultaneously ambitious, grounded and pragmatic. De Rossi is under no delusions that he'll be Roma's Sir Alex (though that would be awesome), nor is he assuming he'll be given the job on reputation alone. He wants the job on merit and is prepared to put in the hard work.

De Rossi on his journey up the coaching ranks:

I start this journey not just because I’d enjoy it, but as I think I can do it. People have always seen me as a leader in the locker room, but the coach has to make decisions, choose staff and ultimately be alone under that pressure.

I’ll try to learn from different coaches as I begin this new career and I think Pep Guardiola would be a good place to start.

During the incubation phases of these rumors, we long assumed De Rossi would learn the managerial ropes under his father's watchful eye with the Roma set up or serving on Roberto Mancini's Azzurri staff, but Pep Guardiola would be an interesting wrinkle to the story. We have no idea if De Rossi has something lined up or if he was just speaking off the cuff, but this is one area in which his reputation will serve him well—De Rossi was universally respected as a player and should have no trouble finding a coaching mentor, even one as well-decorated as Pep (there shared Roma connection certainly wouldn't hurt either).

Lastly, De Rossi spoke on the end of his Roma playing career:

I was calm and I never faked anything. It would hurt anyone to leave somewhere after 20 years and there is a sense of melancholy, but it was important for me to show the fans this wasn’t a tragedy.

It wasn’t my choice to leave Roma, but I did decide when to leave football. They were both two decisions I didn’t want to make.

My only regret is that I never got to win something truly important at Roma. Some said I lacked ambition, but there’s nothing more ambitious than trying to win at a club that rarely has silverware.

De Rossi's ending wasn't quite as ugly as Totti's, at least in terms of the airing of dirty laundry, but top marks to DDR for taking it all in stride. It is a shame he never won a Scudetto with Roma, but he was part of several sides that came as close as humanly possible.

In a perfect world, De Rossi would take the reins from Paulo Fonseca at some point in the next several years, but it will be really interesting and exciting to see where he first plants his managerial feet.