RADARTASIK.COM – Daniele De Rossi said “Finally this curse is over” after AS Roma eliminated Feyenoord on penalties after drawing 1-1 in normal time.
In his press conference, Daniele De Rossi recalled AS Roma’s defeat in last season’s Europa League final which they lost on penalties and compared the current victory in the same way over Feyenoord.
De Rossi admitted that there was a luck factor in AS Roma’s victory and felt calm after seeing many of his players asking to be penalty takers.
“When you face a penalty shootout, you win or lose, and this curse must eventually end. This is an encouragement to overcome fatal mistakes, we are a strong team and must not feel like ugly ducklings,” said De Rossi, quoted by Tuttomercato.
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“We deserved to qualify after two games. “I have 6-7 players who want to kick a penalty, I feel calm, I see they are very motivated and ready to take on this responsibility,” he continued.
He then explained the reason for choosing Nicola Zalewski as the penalty taker because he received a whisper from Mancini and praised goalkeeper Svilar’s performance.
“This was not a predetermined choice. Yesterday when we discussed, we focused on who had kicked the penalty and analyzed who had kicked well, and Mancini told me that Zalewski had never missed a penalty,” he said.
“I’m happy for him because he is an extraordinary young man. Then there was Svilar who had saved two penalties and a goalkeeper who didn’t play but celebrated like he had saved. Rui Patricio is a big man,” he added.
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Daniele De Rossi also emphasized that he has a very good relationship with Lukaku who almost brought AS Roma through without going through a penalty shootout at the end of extra time.
“My relationship with him is extraordinary. He is an extraordinary professional, and in the 121st minute he almost took us to the last 16,” he said.
“I hug everyone the same way. “I started to love these players, I became attached to them,” he admitted.
“They have welcomed me well and have proven that what I say is credible. “They believe and practice wholeheartedly,” he explained.
Finally, De Rossi discussed the condition of the players after a tiring match and said this victory was not the end of his test as AS Roma coach.
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