Daniele De Rossi, the coach of Roma, praised Spanish coach Xabi Alonso of Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday, considering him "one of the best in the world."

Roma and Bayer Leverkusen will face off on Thursday at the Olympic Stadium in the Italian capital to settle the first leg of the Europa League semi-finals.

It's a clash between two coaches who were once midfielders themselves and now chase the dream of a European final from the sidelines.

"They're unbeaten because obviously they've always been better than the teams they've faced. There are teams that have played decent and very good games but haven't won in the end. I leave luck to those who play at the casino. They have something great and they've achieved what they've achieved because they play good football and have one of the best coaches in the world," De Rossi said at a press conference.

"You have to fear everything about Leverkusen," he added. "They've had more time with Alonso than Roma with De Rossi, but one thing to respect a lot is that they're unbeaten despite being behind several times. They're a team that has achieved awareness and great tenacity in trying to get the result, even when it seems insurmountable," he emphasized.

The coach, however, made it clear that his team also possesses this quality: "We're mentally strong too. This is a team that cares and has heart. So, with such an important goal ahead, we'll both fight until the last second."

Leverkusen's last defeat in Europe was, curiously, against Roma at the Olympic Stadium.

"It's a somewhat superstitious speech. I focus on preparing the match on what the boys will encounter on the field, which is a totally different team from that Bayer, which was already strong but less dangerous in the final meters. Now they know they're champions, they have a clear mind, and they'll try to be champions in Europe too. It might be a nice memory, I hope it bothers them, but the team is clearly stronger," De Rossi concluded.