GENOA, ITALY – NOVEMBER 09: Daniele De Rossi, Head Coach of Genoa, appaluds prior to the Serie A match between Genoa CFC and ACF Fiorentina at Luigi Ferraris Stadium on November 09, 2025 in Genoa, Italy. (Photo by Simone Arveda/Getty Images)
Genoa coach Daniele De Rossi used his pre-match press conference ahead of the game against Cagliari to reflect on both his team’s preparations and Italy’s tricky path toward the 2026 World Cup.
Asked about the Azzurri’s upcoming playoff, the former midfielder drew on personal memories from his time with the national team.
Official: Daniele De Rossi is appointed the new head coach of Genoa CFC (picture via www.genoacfc.it)
“It happened to us too,” he recalled, with quotes via TuttoMercatoWeb.
“I played in Moldova: we struggled there as well. The gap between Europe’s big nations and the rest has narrowed. We were in the same boat. Years ago you’d recognise the No.10 of the national team as Totti, Del Piero, Baggio. Now you play Norway and you’re up against the strongest striker in the world, or two of the strongest wingers in the world.”
De Rossi has faith in Gattuso & Buffon for Italy
De Rossi underlined his faith in the current technical leadership of Italy. “Rino, Gigi, Bonucci: they shed blood for that shirt, symbolically. Starting with people like them makes me feel calm. Sometimes you find yourself in a group where Norway are simply stronger. We have to accept that there are national teams today who are stronger than Italy, teams that weren’t 20 years ago.”
MILAN, ITALY – NOVEMBER 16: Gennaro Gattuso, Head Coach of Italy, issues instructions during the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier match between Italy and Norway at San Siro Stadium on November 16, 2025 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
Turning back to Genoa, De Rossi spoke positively about the international break. “We’re proud our players travel around the world. I worked with those who stayed, focusing on our principles and on things that needed more time. Physically we’re satisfied: we looked around and understood where we are.”
Those returning from national duty bring mixed emotions, he added. “Some come back happy after qualifying, others less so. But they played, showed themselves, put minutes in their legs. The international break annoys people who love club football, but it’s also a chance for players to change air a bit.”
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