Florenzi on ‘essential’ Italy U21 video games and De Rossi’s death threat

Former Italy international Alessandro Florenzi explains how video games were ‘essential’ to create a solid group in the Azzurri U21 squad and reveals Daniele De Rossi threatened to kill him ‘in front of everyone’ during a Serie A match.

Florenzi spoke about his career during an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport.

The Euro 2020 winner, who retired this past August, explained how video games were instrumental in building a solid group in the Italy U21 squad.

“Kalmar, Sweden, 2013, the European Championship qualifying play-off. We were a superstitious group. On every away trip, having a PlayStation was a must,” Florenzi recalled.

“The TVs were old and didn’t have the right spots for cables, but we couldn’t give up the ritual, so we pooled some money and sent the press officer to buy a TV. He came back with a huge thing. The superstition worked, the next day we won, and I scored along with Insigne and Immobile. Somehow, we took that giant TV with us, and as soon as we got to the airport, we found out that our flight was delayed because of a storm. So we set it up right there between the waiting room seats, pulled out the console and started playing. Video games were essential.”

One of the most iconic moments in Florenzi’s history came in September 2014 when he ran into the stands to hug his grandmother after scoring a goal in a Serie A match against Cagliari.

“My grandma Aurora had never been to the stadium. The day before the match, I told her: ‘If I score, I’ coming up to hug you, I don’t care about anything.’,” De Rossi said.

“I still remember De Rossi’s face when I returned to the pitch, and the referee booked me. He came up to me and said: ‘You just did something absolutely incredible, but if you do anything stupid now and pick another yellow, I’ll kill you in front of everyone.’ My blood ran cold when Daniele spoke; he was like a sheriff speaking. After the match, we burst out laughing.”

A product of the Roma academy, Florenzi spent almost his entire career with the Giallorossi, scoring 28 goals in 280 matches with the Capitolines.

He also played for Crotone and Milan in Serie A, winning the Serie A title with the Rossoneri in 2021-22.

“There were a lot of misunderstandings [in Rome], but I never responded to all the things said about me,” Florenzi said.

“I always wanted the pitch to do the talking, showing respect for the shirt. I sweated for it until the last drop, and nobody can deny that. I want to make it clear that I never fought with anyone, and when I meet the fans, they remember me fondly.”