De Rossi signed a three-year contract as AS Roma coach in June after replacing Mourinho in January.

Daniele De Rossi has been "relieved of his duties as head coach" at AS Roma, the club announced unexpectedly on Wednesday, just months after the former midfielder signed a three-year contract.

In a short statement, AS Roma said the decision was made "in the best interests of the team, to get back on the desired path as soon as possible at a time when the season is still in its early stages."

Roma offered a "heartfelt thank you" to De Rossi, "who will always be at home at the Giallorossi club, for the work he has done in recent months with passion and dedication."

The club said that a communication regarding the team's technical guidance would follow.

De Rossi, 41, took over from José Mourinho in January as interim coach of his home-team, four years after hanging up his boots following a glittering career with the Serie A club.

Club statement

https://t.co/TBmuvmOEMS#ASRoma pic.twitter.com/OHOIP9V3Yv

— AS Roma English (@ASRomaEN) September 18, 2024

De Rossi, who played more than 600 times for AS Roma between 2001 and 2019, made 117 appearances for Italy and was part of the team that won the World Cup in 2006.

In April, the club's American owners Dan and Ryan Friedkin announced that De Rossi would continue as head coach of AS Roma "for this season and for the forseeable future", stating: "We couldn't be happier to build a long-term project with Daniele."

At the time, the Friedkins praised De Rossi for leading "with respect and courage", hailing his "deep-rooted belief in the club" as "truly aligned with Roma's values, city and unparalled fans."

De Rossi signed a new three-year deal with Roma on 25 June, until 2027, after getting off to a strong start as head coach with a string of wins.

However the club has struggled in the first four matches of the 2024-25 Serie A championship, securing three points after drawing in three games and losing one.

It remains to be seen who will be on the bench for Sunday's game against Udinese.

Photo credit: Raffaele Conti 88 / Shutterstock.com.