Former Roma manager Daniele De Rossi has been presented with a ‘Golden Tapir’ award by the Italian satirical news program Striscia la Notizia. The show’s correspondent, Valerio Staffelli, caught up with De Rossi to hand over the dubious honour, complete with a good luck charm in the form of a horn. The segment is set to air on December 29th on Canale 5.
This marks De Rossi’s second ‘Golden Tapir’ award, given to him in light of his disappointing year that ended with his dismissal from Roma’s managerial position. During the encounter, De Rossi shared some thoughts on his time at the club and his current situation.
Addressing rumors of issues with senior players, De Rossi stated, “Problems with the senior players? The players were the same in January 2024 when they called me… In any case, I will always be grateful to the American ownership for allowing me to coach the team of my heart.”
When questioned about Roma’s current struggles, De Rossi deflected, saying, “Roma in crisis? And you’re giving the Tapir to me? I’ve been out for months, I don’t think I’m the right recipient.”
The former World Cup winner also humorously responded to a question about potentially coaching Roma’s city rivals, Lazio: “Me on the Lazio bench? They won’t ask me, they’re doing great. That’s why I think I’ll need two horns this year…”
