SPAL sack Italy icon De Rossi after just four months

Daniele De Rossi was sacked by struggling Serie B side SPAL on Tuesday, just four months into the first job of his managerial career.

In a statement, SPAL said that former Italy international De Rossi had been “relieved of his duties as first team coach” with the rest of his coaching staff.

The 39-year-old replaced Roberto Venturato in October but failed to move SPAL up the table, three straight defeats leaving the club in the relegation zone.

He managed only three wins from his 16 league games in charge.

De Rossi retired as a player in 2020 following a short spell at Boca Juniors after being released the previous year by Roma, his boyhood club for whom he played for 18 seasons in Serie A.

Referred to as “Future Captain” for much of his career as understudy to fellow Roma icon Francesco Totti, De Rossi won just two Italian Cups as Roma failed in repeated title bids against Inter Milan and later all-conquering Juventus.

He came closest to winning Serie A in 2010 when Roma took Jose Mourinho’s treble-winning Inter side to the final day of the season in a thrilling Scudetto race.

De Rossi was capped 117 times for his country, scoring 21 times. He played a part in Italy’s triumph at the 2006 World Cup despite being banned for four matches for elbowing Brian McBride.

His international career ended in 2017 after the Azzurri failed to qualify for the following year’s World Cup. He was part of the squad that reached the Euro 2012 final.

De Rossi was part of Roberto Mancini’s coaching staff when Italy won Euro 2020 in July last year.