Roma coach Juric praises De Rossi's leadership and player support

Juric has taken charge following this week's polarizing departure of the Roma legend. He now leads the team into battle against Udinese on Sunday.

“Udinese proved over the first few games that their mentality has changed, they are playing good football and have a real tactical balance. At this moment, they are one of the strongest teams in Serie A, are physically strong, can score in a thousand different ways, so it will be very difficult to face them,” said Juric in his press conference.

“The owners were very clear and direct. In my view, the shift is making the squad much younger overall, so they asked me to grow and develop players, but also certainly get results. The objective of the club is that Roma enter into the Champions League and stay there consistently over time. That is the main aim.

“I think that results are always at the basis of dismissals, that’s what my career has taught me. If you don’t get results, you risk the sack. The team gave Daniele everything, that is my sensation, and I feel that the only reason for the change was results.

“What I saw last season in the first phase of the De Rossi era was a very aggressive Roma, and that seemed like something the players relished. More that about physical intensity, it’s about knowing your position and making it a balanced team. Many of the players I had at Torino were not suited to my football, but in the end they managed to adapt.

“My idea is to continue being very aggressive and with a high press. I’ve seen positives and negatives so far this season, often during the same game. I think Daniele did a great job with organisation and the behaviour of the players, and the fitness levels are good. I want to introduce some things that I saw in the past and I believe we can do.”