De Rossi: An exceptional win

That was some message you sent out tonight...

“Regardless of what the scoreline might suggest it was an evenly balanced match and Villarreal played some good football. We knew it would be tough but we wanted to come here and put ourselves in a strong position for the return leg, although I don't think we expected to do it in quite such a convincing manner. They have an excellent defensive record so winning 4-0 here makes our performance tonight all the more impressive.”

Looking at what's happened to Edin Dzeko and Emerson this season, what does that tell us?

“It should make lots of Roma fans realise they should wait a while before casting judgement. People had barely seen Emerson play and he was already being judged. Dzeko was different: we all knew he was a top-class player even if he didn't make the best of starts here. It can happen that you go through lean spells, though. We didn't play well as a team either in the first half of last season, then we picked ourselves up. He had to spend a few games on the bench last season – as did I, for that matter – because there were other players who were performing better. But this guy we're seeing now is the real Dzeko, the player he's always been throughout his career.”

Any news on your contract?

“We haven't sat down to discuss it yet. I'm 33 and I understand the club has other priorities. I'm quite happy with the way things are at the moment. There's no urgency.”

It seems the Roma players are becoming more intelligent in their reading of the game...

“Some players are born with the ability to read games well while other players have different attributes – that's where you need a great team and a great coach. I've seen players not misplace a single pass despite not being particularly skilful. Take Italy at the Euros for example: a medium- to high-quality team but with players who played the ball first time knowing where their team-mates would be without looking. It's crucial to have a coach behind you who knows how to set you up like that and that everyone shares the same ideas.”

Can we describe this as an exceptional Roma performance tonight?

“Perhaps it's more of an exceptional result at 4-0 rather than an exceptional win itself. The gaffer told us this was an important game that we could win by doing normal things. That's football: if you're the better team and you stay focused you usually win.”

Have you spoken to Alessandro Florenzi?

“I spoke to him first because my dad told me as he was training with the Primavera. I was immediately overcome by a feeling of sadness. We'll have to wait and see what happens tomorrow as he's got an important medical examination. This sort of thing hurts if it happens to a player you don't know. When it happens to a friend, it rips your heart out. It really is a sporting tragedy, both for Florenzi the player and Florenzi the man. We'll give him all the support we can.”