Roma has terminated the contract of club icon Daniele De Rossi and appointed Ivan Juric as the new head coach, following a poor start to the Serie A season that has left the team winless and close to the relegation zone. The announcement was made on Wednesday, with Roma stating that Juric will be in charge until the end of the season.
Juric, who was most recently with Torino, is Roma’s third head coach in 2024. De Rossi, who replaced Jose Mourinho in January, was hired on a three-year contract in June after leading Roma to the Europa League semi-finals. However, his tenure lasted only eight months.
Roma cited the decision to sack De Rossi as being "in the best interests of the team," but the move sparked protests from fans outside the club’s Trigoria training ground, who expressed their frustration towards players leaving after the morning session.
De Rossi, a World Cup winner with Italy in 2006, was dismissed while Roma was positioned 16th in Serie A, having earned just three points from four matches. His departure follows a 1-1 draw against Genoa on Sunday, where Roma missed the opportunity to secure their first win of the season in the final moments of the match.
De Rossi, a beloved figure for Roma fans, had spent much of his playing career with the club, alongside Francesco Totti. Despite a lack of major silverware, De Rossi's passionate playing style endeared him to supporters. He won two Italian Cups and the 2007 Italian Super Cup before ending his playing career at Boca Juniors in early 2020.
As an interim replacement for Mourinho, De Rossi's managerial experience was limited to four months with SPAL, where he was dismissed in February 2023 after the team was relegated to Serie C. Despite an impressive start at Roma, where he revitalized the team and led them to the Europa League semi-finals, Roma’s form declined towards the end of the last campaign. They missed out on Champions League qualification and have struggled in the early part of this season, contributing to De Rossi's dismissal.
Juric, a former Croatia midfielder, will lead Roma for the first time on Sunday against Udinese. His first Europa League match with Roma will be against Athletic Bilbao the following week.
