AS Roma’s combative midfielder Daniele De Rossi will end his playing career at the club after 18 years, during which he made 615 appearances and scored 63 goals in all competitions.
The club confirmed in a statement that Roma’s final game of the season - at home to Parma - would be his last for the club he joined as a teenager in 2000. Roma added that he would continue his playing career elsewhere.
“We will all shed tears when he pulls on the Giallorossi (yellow-and-red) shirt for the last time against Parma but we respect his desire to prolong his playing career - even if, at almost 36, it will be away from Rome,” said club president James Pallotta.
“I’d like to thank Daniele for his incredible dedication to this club and ensure him that our doors will remain open for him to return to the club in a new role whenever he wants.”
He won two Coppa Italia titles with Roma in 2007 and 2008 although the nearest he came to a Serie A title was in 2010 when Roma led the table with four games to go but were overhauled by Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan.
De Rossi also played 117 games for Italy, making him their fourth most-capped player, and came on as a second-half substitute in the 2006 World Cup final where they beat France on penalties after a 1-1 draw.
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