Roma Sack Club Icon De Rossi, Appoint Juric as New Head Coach
Roma have terminated the contract of club legend Daniele De Rossi and appointed Ivan Juric as their new head coach, effective Wednesday. The decision follows a poor start to the Serie A season, leaving the team without a win and near the relegation zone.
In an official statement, Roma announced that Juric has been hired until the end of the season. This change comes after De Rossi's dismissal, which occurred just eight months into his tenure.
Juric, previously with Torino, is the third head coach for Roma in 2024. De Rossi had been hired in January to replace José Mourinho, and he signed a three-year contract in June after guiding the team to the Europa League semi-finals.
Roma stated that De Rossi was sacked "in the best interests of the team," but this decision has provoked a strong reaction from supporters. Fans gathered outside the Trigoria training ground expressed their discontent, targeting players as they left after training on Wednesday morning.
De Rossi, a 2006 World Cup winner with Italy, was dismissed as his former club, with whom he signed a contract until 2027 in June, currently sits 16th in Serie A with three points from four matches.
The sacking follows a 1-1 draw at Genoa on Sunday, where Roma let slip a potential first win of the season in the final moments.
De Rossi, a local hero for Roma, was admired for his passionate play despite limited silverware. He won two Italian Cups and the 2007 Italian Super Cup before ending his playing career at Boca Juniors in early 2020.
His managerial experience was brief, with a previous stint at SPAL where he was dismissed in February after a season that ended in relegation to Serie C.
Despite a promising start with Roma, where he revitalized the team and led them to the Europa League semi-finals, De Rossi's tenure was marred by poor form at the end of last season and a disappointing start this year. Roma missed out on Champions League qualification and struggled in their opening league fixtures.
Juric, 49, takes charge of his first match with Roma on Sunday against Udinese. His first European fixture will be against Athletic Bilbao in the Europa League next week.
