Italy great Daniele De Rossi may have finally called time on his illustrious playing career, but he is clearly embracing his new life as a full-time fan of his beloved Roma.
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As a player, Daniele De Rossi was a man who embodied Roma for the club's supporters, and he wanted a taste of what that felt like from their perspective.
The 36-year-old midfielder, who retired earlier this month after a short spell at Boca Juniors, was so eager to watch the club where he spent two decades take on cross-city rivals Lazio in Sunday's derby that he underwent a dramatic physical transformation.
In order to sit with the rest of the Giallorossi fans in the curva at Stadio Olimpico, De Rossi hired a professional make-up artist to disguise him. The stunning transformation was posted on Instagram by his wife, Italian actor Sarah Felberbaum.
Complete with glasses and a hat, De Rossi was given long silver hair and aged a decade or two to enable him to watch the match incognito.
Sure enough, the 2006 World Cup winner was present in the terraces, waving flags and cheering loudly as the sides played out a 1-1 draw (stream the replay on ESPN+ in the U.S.).
#DeRossi: "Non escludo che in futuro mi troverete in un settore con la birra e il panino a tifare la Roma" pic.twitter.com/sMAC38ufwg
— il Romanista (@ilRomanistaweb) January 29, 2020
"I can't rule out that in the future you will find me in the curva with a beer and a sandwich to cheer on Roma," De Rossi said after pulling off his masterful ruse.
Let that be a warning to all match-going Roma supporters: keep an eye out in the future because you never know who might be in the seat next to you.
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Liverpool's Elliott scores stunning overhead kick for U23s
Harvey Elliott 😱 pic.twitter.com/OfJOQ0OVp7
— Anfield Watch (@AnfieldWatch) January 29, 2020
While Liverpool's first team were extending their lead at the Premier League summit to 19 points, the next generation of Reds stars were also in action on Wednesday.
Liverpool under-23s demonstrated similar levels of tenacity as they faced Wolves in the Premier League International Cup at Molineux.
The away side ultimately booked themselves a place in the quarterfinals of the competition after fighting back from two goals down, beginning with a Joe Hardy goal early in the second half.
Young midfielder Harvey Elliott then scored the equaliser shortly thereafter by thrashing home a brilliant overhead kick from a near-post corner just 10 minutes into the second half.
The result saw the Reds qualify for the knockout phase of the International Cup from a group that also included Paris Saint-Germain and Athletic Bilbao.