Daniele de Rossi was full of praise ahead of Roma’s match with Bologna: ‘It’s difficult to study and face them. I have great respect for them’. Following their victory against Milan and qualification for the Europa League semi-final, De Rossi’s side will host the Rossoblu at the Olimpico Stadium in a bid to inch closer to fourth spot, currently occupied by Thiago Motta’s men. Speaking ahead of the match, De Rossi offered an update on the status of his squad and what he expects from a tough opponent:
“Lukaku will not be called up; he has a minor muscle problem. Today, we will understand who will replace him. It will be a complex match because we played against a strong team like Milan, expending a lot of physical and mental energy. Bologna is the most fascinating team in the league. There are many teams that play well, but they have players less accustomed to these areas in the standings. I commend Thiago and the club; they have a very fluid team, with the center-backs joining the attack and a very fluid gameplay. It is difficult to study and face them. I have great respect for them, which will be an advantage for us because they won’t have Ferguson, but I extend my heartfelt wishes to them because I know what it means to miss out on the Euros.”
Daniele De Rossi continued, “Udinese-Roma? I align myself with the club’s words. Other leagues help teams, but Serie A also manages schedules. Here, a particular precedent has been created; I regret that President Casini did not listen to our requests, as did the assignor Butti, who is a football man. But now, enough, let’s not talk about it anymore because if we keep repeating that we are tired, we will become tired indeed. I’ve seen little of Abraham; I need to discover him. He has a lot of enthusiasm, which we must channel towards football matters; if he can do that, it would be devastating. Dybala False 9? I would like it; to play with him as a center-forward, you need many players with legs on the wings, since Paulo comes to get the ball low, but at the moment, we don’t have players of this type in the squad.”
Regarding Claudio Lotito’s comments on N’Dicka, the Giallorossi coach commented, “I was prepared for this question (laughs). Lazio’s tweet is sincere; when we left the stadium, we thought it was serious. I don’t think anyone should blame us for our player not being in the hospital yet with the aftermath of a heart attack. We stopped the game at a positive moment for us, so there is no ulterior motive; if it comes from fanatics on social media, it bothers you for 30 seconds, then it passes. If someone within football does it, it bothers you a little more. I’m sorry President Lotito did it, but this time he said something that shouldn’t have been said. It’s a shame because I know him well. Those within the football world should be a little more sensitive because in front of someone’s life, we should all agree.”
