Daniele De Rossi says he will continue to defend his Genoa players rather than create public drama, insisting he would be “finished” if he resorted to blaming them for the club’s poor run.
Genoa have collected only one point from their opening five matches, leaving De Rossi under pressure after a disappointing start. However, the coach says the team can recover, just as it did last season, and believes the response must come through collective effort rather than theatrical displays.
“We’ll get ourselves out of this situation like last year. The important thing is that everyone wants to immerse themselves in it. I want to create new good moments. With Genoa,” De Rossi told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
He said someone close to him had sent a photograph showing him celebrating on his knees in front of Genoa supporters, suggesting that fans wanted to see him in that mood again.
De Rossi rejected the idea that he should manufacture such scenes while results remain poor.
“What am I supposed to do, celebrate after a defeat? When I went to greet my former fans under the Curva Sud last year, did I have grit on my face? No. I was dejected.
“I could put on a show on the bench: shout, yell, insult the players, attack them in press conferences as many of my colleagues do. Bang my fists and say the players have to take responsibility and be men, show their attributes. But you won’t see that from me.
“As long as my shoulders are broad enough to defend my players, I’ll keep doing this job. When you see me playing the clown to offload blame, it’ll mean I’m finished.”
De Rossi calls for a fresh start
Rather than dwelling on Genoa’s opening results, De Rossi has told his staff to approach the situation as if they have only just arrived at the club.
“I have very clear ideas. It makes no sense to look back now. With my staff we’ve decided to think we’ve just taken over. We’re trying to eat the chicken with our hands. I have to work out how. We can’t wait to start again after the break.”
The coach also asked for patience with Stephan El Shaarawy, who has been used to playing in a wide position throughout his career.
“He’s spent his whole career out wide and we took him to fill the gap there. We have to understand there’s a fitness issue too, it’s understandable that he’s a bit behind.”
De Rossi described Lorenzo Colombo’s injury as alarming when he first saw the video, saying: “Watching the video, the injury looked frightening. I thought everything had gone with his leg planted in the ground.”
He was more encouraged by teenager Robinho Junior, who made a positive initial impression on him: “He made an excellent impression on me.”
