‘Sometimes, we had to beat him up’ at AS Roma

GENOA, ITALY – NOVEMBER 29: Daniele De Rossi, head coach of Genoa, appears to be like on previous to kick-off within the Serie A match between Genoa CFC and Hellas Verona FC at Luigi Ferraris Stadium on November 29, 2025 in Genoa, Italy. (Picture by Simone Arveda/Getty Pictures)

Genoa coach Daniele De Rossi praises his former Roma teammate Nicolò Zaniolo: ‘He’s a superb man and a very good participant; generally we needed to beat him up in coaching as a result of he was too robust.’

De Rossi’s Genoa will go to Zaniolo’s Udinese on Monday, and the Grifone’s boss previewed the sport at a press convention on Saturday.

Zaniolo and De Rossi performed collectively at Roma, and the Udinese striker has had a convincing begin to the season in 2025-26 with 4 objectives in 11 Serie A video games.

“I believe he made the correct selection. He’s gone to a form of blissful island, the place you’re employed with critical folks and there’s house for nothing else than soccer,” De Rossi mentioned, by way of TMW.

De Rossi: Zaniolo ‘a wonderful participant’

“I’m glad he’s again at his bodily ranges. Bodily, he’s a beast, an animal like Norton-Cuffy. I met him when he was a child, then we sort of misplaced monitor of one another, even when we’re nonetheless in contact. He has unimaginable potential, he’s such a pleasant and humble man, generally we needed to beat him up in coaching as a result of he was too robust.

“I’ve an important reminiscence of Nicolò, careers take infinite pathways and segments, and generally you lose tempo a bit,” continued the Genoa boss.

“Maybe it occurred to him, too; he was anticipated to have a distinct profession. He was unfortunate along with his knees, however he began operating once more. I want him to realize what he was anticipated to when he arrived at Roma, as a result of he’s a superb man and a very good participant.”

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