De Rossi: Fighting for a trophy is crucial for young player development

The first leg in Tuscany ended 1-1 - meaning everything is still to play for when the two Under-19 sides meet for the second leg at the Stadio Olimpico this weekend.

See what De Rossi had to say ahead of the clash.

On the team's form...

“This is a crucial period for the lads' in terms of their development. Every age category is important but it's at Primavera level where you really grow up and experience new things.

“There's a trophy at stake on Friday and we're not just going out there to play well; we'll try to win by sticking to our playing style and the club's philosophy.

“I'm not angry about recent results – I know my boys very well. As a coach, you must not panic at times like this because we have a young team. The first game of the season was a bit of a shock because we lost at home, then we went on a 15-match winning run which put us on a pedestal. But even at this level you can't afford to ease off in the slightest.

"I think our elimination from the Youth League affected us. The club cares a lot about its international reputation and obviously we were hoping to do well so it was a psychological setback when the dream ended. Perhaps we should have emphasised the importance of all the other competitions because besides the Youth League we still had lots of other things to play for.”

On the first leg performance...

“Conceding that late goal was the logical result of a second-half approach I wasn't happy with. We took the lead deservedly but then we stopped attacking, although part of the credit for that must go to our opponents.”

On Virtus Entella as a team...

“Four of their players have made at least 10 appearances in Serie B – that says it all about what sort of team we're up against. They're experienced, tough to break down and good at playing their game. They've signed a player from Fiorentina and another from PSG, and they're not just running a youth academy for the sake of it but because they mean business.

"The Primavera league will be tougher next season with all the Serie A teams involved. I think the aim is to keep raising the level and hopefully we'll have B teams before long.”

On the fans' role...

“The younger lads have feelings too and they deserve support. I really hope lots of fans come along to cheer them on – as they did for the Super Cup in October – because it really makes a difference to the boys. The Primavera Coppa Italia is a big stage to play on and I really want to emphasise how important the fans' support is. We'll try to win the match without thinking about the first leg – we mustn't go out there and just try to defend.”