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Roma defeated Genoa 3-1 at Stadio Olimpico, but the main storyline centred on Daniele De Rossi’s emotional return and apology to Roma’s supporters. Genoa suffered a third straight loss, while Roma’s fast start decided the contest inside the opening 31 minutes.
De Rossi, now Genoa head coach, walked the pitch after the defeat and greeted many Roma fans. The former midfielder cut a serious figure during the post-match tribute and later explained that the disappointing display left De Rossi angry despite the warm farewell.
The damage for Genoa arrived early at Stadio Olimpico, where Roma struck three times before half an hour. Matias Soule, Manu Kone and Evan Ferguson all scored, giving Roma full control. Genoa could not respond with enough quality
to threaten a comeback during the second half.
Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini assessed the performance by focusing on the attacking movement that hurt Genoa. Gasperini felt Roma’s energy dropped after the interval yet still preferred to emphasise how the players handled key phases. The coach believed the team maintained an effective level when Roma needed control.
"We caused quite a few problems for [Genoa] with our runs from deep, and we always looked dangerous," the Giallorossi boss added. "I'm a bit disappointed about the second half. I'd have liked us to play better football, but the match fizzled out a bit. In any case, we have to take all the positives. You can't get your approach or the level of intensity wrong in this team, because we're a team that gets results when we play at a high tempo. When we haven't been able to get a result, we've still played well. That's the main thing. "
Before kick-off, De Rossi received embraces from Paulo Dybala, Gianluca Mancini and Manu Kone as Roma honoured a figure who played more than 600 matches for the club and later coached for 30 games in 2024, recording 14 wins and nine draws during that spell.
"I'm angry on the inside. It’s frustrating because I didn’t like the performance we put in," De Rossi said. "That feeling still remains despite the final goodbye, the support from my fans, from my former fans, from my former players. They would have done the same with a draw, a victory or a defeat, but it would have been a bit nicer to go and say goodbye to them after a different performance. I'm sorry I had a stern face on during that farewell, but they know me. They know that I don't have any other way of experiencing football. "
FT | Roma 3-1 Genoa pic.twitter.com/mKMTfCmqsQGenoa CFC (@GenoaCFC) December 29, 2025
De Rossi’s lap of honour after the 3-1 loss showed a complicated evening, mixing nostalgia with frustration over Genoa’s form. Roma’s early surge settled the result, while both coaches left Stadio Olimpico highlighting intensity, attitude and performance levels rather than focusing solely on the scoreline.
