De Rossi hires make-up artist to watch Rome derby

A number of outlets, including Rome-based daily Corriere Dello Sport published a video of what appears to be the former Italy international in the Curva Sud section of the Stadio Olimpico, where Roma's hardcore fans stand, in a bizarre outfit featuring a fake nose and glasses.

The person singing along with the crowd appears to be the same as the one De Rossi turns into after a complex make-up job revealed on the Instagram account of his wife, London-born Italian actress Sarah Felberbaum.

"We lost an entire afternoon, hours of make-up and traumatised children, but he was happy like a little kid," she wrote under the video.

De Rossi quit as a Roma player in May after 18 years playing for his hometown team, briefly turning out for Argentine giants Boca Juniors before announcing his retirement from the game earlier this month. In his farewell press conference, De Rossi said that he would find his way into the stands at the Olimpico "with a beer and a sandwich to cheer on my friends".

A World Cup winner with Italy in 2006, De Rossi won little in his time at Roma, lifting the Italian Cup in 2007 and 2008, but was an integral part of teams that came to within one game of beating Inter Milan to the Serie A title in 2008 and 2010.

Born and raised in Rome's working class seaside suburb Ostia, he remains a hugely popular figure among Roma supporters, and along with fellow local boy Francesco Totti was considered the heart of the team.