Daniele De Rossi paid tribute to Italy’s kitman by placing his World Cup winners medal in his coffin.
The Roma midfielder attended the funeral of Pietro Lombardi on Wednesday, the national team’s legendary kitman, who passed away aged 92.
De Rossi had formed a bond with Lombardi, who was nicknamed ‘The Toothbrush’ due to his thorough boot cleaning technique, and sent him off with his medal from Italy’s 2006 World Cup win.
The 32-year-old travelled from his home in Rome to Florence to pay his respects to a man who was an important part of the Azzurri’s triumph in Germany, as reported by Gazzetta World.
Although De Rossi did not play many games for his country during the tournament he did score a penalty in the win over France and his medal surely means a lot to him.
Lombardi had formed friendships with many of Italians to have played for their country and another Roma legend, Francesco Totti, also paid tribute to him upon hearing of his passing.
De Rossi has made over 100 appearances for Italy since making his debut in 2004, scoring 17 goals from midfield as an important part of the side.
He missed the majority of Italy’s World Cup campaign after receiving a straight red card for elbowing Brian McBride in the Azzurri’s second match against the United States, but returned in time to be a part of their 5-3 win on penalties in the final.
The midfielder has made 18 appearances for Roma in Serie A this season, scoring one goal.
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