De Rossi buys fourth-tier Ostiamare, where his career began

Former AS Roma and Italy midfielder Daniele De Rossi has bought Ostiamare, the lowly semi-professional club where he began his career, promising to strengthen the community of the coastal Rome suburb where the team are based.

Ostiamare, founded in 1945, play in the fourth tier of the Italian league system.

"My goal will be to work to build a solid, transparent and innovative club, a means to unite people, to promote community values and to bring families closer to their area, with the pride of representing Ostia on and off the pitch," De Rossi wrote on Instagram.

De Rossi, who was sacked as Roma's coach in September after a faltering start to the season, was a lynchpin of the Serie A side as a player for almost two decades before leaving in 2019.

He also played 117 times for Italy, winning the World Cup with the Azzurri in 2006.

It all began at Ostiamare, where De Rossi played for the youth team between 1997 and 2000.