Primavera, cronaca Inter-Roma ore 18 LIVE: le ufficiali. In avanti Paratici e Arena

Exactly 25 years ago, on 30 October 2001, Daniele De Rossi made his first appearance for Roma, in a 1-1 draw with Anderlecht. The club has marked the anniversary with a retrospective on that night. Roma had already secured qualification to the next stage of the Champions League before kicking off, but a final group slot was still to be filled. Fabio Capello's side wore the Champions League kit of that season, half yellow and half red, with blue shorts and socks. Capello fielded an experimental side in a 3-5-2 system, with Pelizzoli in goal, a back three of Siviglia, Samuel and Aldair, and a midfield of Cafu, Assunção, Emerson, Tomic and Guigou, with Cassano and Delvecchio up front. Anderlecht took the lead through Mornar, and Delvecchio equalised to make it 1-1 at full time. The defining moment came in the 26th minute of the second half, when an 18-year-old with a blond bob haircut and the number 27 shirt replaced the Serbian midfielder Ivan Tomic. It was his first appearance for Roma, and he had yet to play a league match. He went on to make three further appearances in the Coppa Italia that season. His first Serie A match came on 25 January 2003, at the neutral venue of Piacenza against Como. The club describes that 1-1 draw with Anderlecht as the first piece in the story of De Rossi's time at Roma. He has worn the shirt 616 times, beginning with that night against Anderlecht. The figure 616 is, in the club's words, evocative of what De Rossi would become at Roma. The number 16, which he has worn since 2005, is made up of 6 and 16, and the club notes the 6 for De Rossi himself.

Roma have marked the 25th anniversary of Daniele De Rossi's first-team debut, which came on 30 October 2001 in a Champions League match against Anderlecht at the Stadio Olimpico. The club's note recalled the evening, when the Capello-coached side, already certain of qualification for the next phase, drew 1-1 with the Belgian side in the final group-stage fixture with an experimental line-up. Roma had already secured their place in the knockout stage before kick-off, but still had one remaining slot to fill in the group phase. The Giallorossi lined up in the Champions League kit of that season, half yellow and half red, with blue shorts and socks. Coach Capello fielded a 3-5-2 system: Pelizzoli in goal, a back three of Siviglia, Samuel and Aldair, a midfield of Cafu, Assunção, Emerson, Tomic and Guigou, and Cassano and Delvecchio up front. Anderlecht went ahead through Mornar, before Delvecchio equalised. The final score was 1-1. The key moment came in the 26th minute of the second half. Ivan Tomic was replaced by an 18-year-old with a blond bob haircut and the number 27 shirt, making his first-team debut for Roma. He had yet to play a league match at that point. That player was De Rossi, who would later wear the number 16 shirt from 2005 onwards. The club noted that the shirt number connection, 6 and 16, and the 616 appearances he went on to make for the club, began with that evening against Anderlecht. The club's note also profiled the players who featured that night. Ivan Pelizzoli joined from Atalanta in the summer of 2001 and holds the club record for clean-sheet minutes, 774 minutes set in the 2003-2004 season, with 92 appearances between 2001 and 2005. Sebastiano Siviglia spent one season at the club, 2001-2002, and made 7 appearances, including his only Champions League game for Roma. Walter Samuel, nicknamed "The Wall", made 173 appearances and scored 11 goals. Aldair made 436 appearances and scored 20 goals across 13 seasons. Cafu made 218 appearances and scored 8 goals. Marcos Assunção made 83 appearances and scored 10 goals. Emerson made 145 appearances and scored 21 goals. Ivan Tomic, signed from Partizan Belgrade in spring 1998, made 31 appearances. Gianni Guigou made 61 appearances and scored 3 goals. Antonio Cassano played in the capital from 2001 to January 2006, making 161 appearances and scoring 52 goals. Marco Delvecchio made 300 appearances and scored 83 goals.

Rodrigo Mora is enjoying a purple patch at Roma, and the Portuguese national team has now added its backing. Portugal Under-21 coach Luis Freire has praised the Roma midfielder and fellow 2007-born talent Quenda of Chelsea in an interview with the agency Lusa. Mora's rise has continued after a strong display against Cagliari at the Stadio Olimpico on Tuesday, where he rose to head in and scored the goal that briefly made it 3-2 to Roma. The performance has won him growing admiration among the Giallorossi supporters, and now the praise has come from Portugal as well. Freire said: "The investment in these two nineteen-year-old players, especially considering the sum invested, shows the great confidence that clubs place in them. For my part, I am calm because they are always motivated and ready to help Portugal, and they want to come when they are not called up to the senior national team, of which they have also been part in the past. We have a lot of affection for them and we hope they establish themselves, but we must give them time. We are here with the Under-21s to support both of them and give them a platform."