De Rossi ‘inspired’ by Spalletti: ‘Best coach I had’

De Rossi ‘inspired’ by Spalletti: ‘Best coach I had’ Genoa coach Daniele De Rossi praises Juventus’ Luciano Spalletti ahead of their Serie A meeting at Marassi: ‘He’s the best coach I had.’ Genoa’s De Rossi and Juventus’ Spalletti meet at the Stadio Ferraris in Genoa this evening. You can follow the build-up and live action as it happens on the live blog. De Rossi played under Spalletti at Genoa and praised his former coach before kick-off. De Rossi’s praise for Spalletti before Genoa vs. Juventus ROME, ITALY – AUGUST 30: Daniele De Rossi, Head Coach of Genoa, looks on before the Serie A match between SS Lazio and Genoa CFC at Stadio Olimpico on August 30, 2026 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images) “After my father, he’s the coach who has taught me the most and inspired me to pursue this job,” De Rossi told DAZN via TuttoJuve. “I’ve always had him close to me. When I see him, he’s part of my friendship circle, not my professional one. I spent beautiful years with him. He’s the best coach I had. He was tough in the dressing room, but always defended us in front of the cameras. This is what convinced me to become a coach. I also need to have the desire to improve.” ITALY – OCTOBER 25: Head coach of Juventus FC Luciano Spalletti looks on ahead the Serie A match between US Lecce and Juventus at Stadio Via del Mare on October 25, 2026 in Italy. (Photo by Maurizio Lagana/Getty Images) Vitinha and Milutin Osmajic start up front for Genoa this evening. “We can’t do without pressing and the fans’ support,” De Rossi concluded. “Those are two strikers with a great work rate, who know how to attack space too. I hope they can do what we tried, including keeping the ball.”