AS Roma FC confirms Daniele De Rossi's exit

Italy's football club AS Roma FC on Monday confirmed that midfielder Daniele De Rossi will leave the club this summer.

"For 18 years, Daniele has been the beating heart of AS Roma's team. From his debut in 2001 to take on the responsibility of the captain's armband, he always represented the Roma fans on the pitch with pride as he established himself as one of the best midfielders in Europe," club president Jim Pallotta said in an official statement.

"On behalf of everyone at Roma, I'd like to thank Daniele for his incredible dedication to this club and ensure him that our doors will remain open for him to return to the club in a new role whenever he wants," he added.

De Rossi joined the club in 2001 and from there onwards he proved himself as the greatest midfielders in the world.

After spending some time at the club, De Rossi was handed the captaincy reins and he inherited the captaincy from another Roma icon, Francesco Totti.

Totti is the only player who is ahead of De Rossi in Roma's list of appearance makers.

At club level, De Rossi won the Coppa Italia twice in 2007 and 2008, along with one Supercoppa in 2007.

De Rossi, however, will not retire from professional football and he is planning to pursue a new adventure away from Rome.

The footballer will play for the final time for Roma against Parma FC.

"We will all shed tears when he pulls on the Giallorossi shirt for the last time against Parma but we respect his desire to prolong his playing career - even if, at almost 36, it will be away from Rome," Jim Pallotta said.