De Rossi Takes Technical Assistant Role With Italy’s Youth Teams

Tearing a page out of his father’s playbook, Daniele De Rossi will begin his coaching career in earnest at the youth levels. De Rossi, 38, retired in January 2020 after a 21-year playing career with Roma (2001-2019) and Boca Juniors (2019-2020) and enrolled in the coaching course at Coverciano shortly thereafter. While De Rossi got his first taste of coaching with Roberto Mancini and the Azzurri at last summer’s European Championships, today’s news marks the next step in what many hope will become a long and successful managerial career for Roma’s former captain.

Not long after Italy captured the Euro 2020 title, De Rossi began working towards his UEFA A coaching license and, along with Andrea Pirlo, achieved the highest score in the class. With that license fresh in his hands, De Rossi is now eligible to coach as high as Serie C, Italy’s third division.

However, rather than jumping headlong into club football, De Rossi will continue his coaching career with the national team. Earlier today, the FIGC officially announced that De Rossi, along with former Juventus defender Andrea Barzagli, will take up a technical assistant role with the national team, working primarily with the U-15s and U-20s.

From the official press release (translation via Football Italia):

Daniele De Rossi returns to the Azzurri fold. After assisting on the staff for the Italy men’s team and then completing his UEFA A coaching license at Coverciano, the 2006 World Champion returns to the set-up as a technical coach for the youth teams.

De Rossi will be, like former teammate Andrea Barzagli, one of the technical coaches at the disposal at various levels – from Under-20 to Under-15 – thus allowing him to complete his formative coaching experience and, at the same time, contribute to the Azzurrini’s growth, working alongside the coaches that lead the various youth teams.

While the FIGC didn’t disclose the exact nature of De Rossi’s role, it almost sounds like this will be a hybrid coaching/apprenticeship position, enabling De Rossi to learn the coaching ropes while providing guidance to Italy’s brightest young talents.

It’s a road many of us hope will land him on the touchline at the Stadio Olimpico—or, dare I say it, the Stadio della Roma—in the not too distant future, but in the meantime, this sounds like a fantastic opportunity for De Rossi to learn the ins and outs and experience the day-to-day grind and rewards of coaching.

In bocca al lupo, Mister De Rossi!