Claudio Ranieri, the 73-year-old manager of Roma, shared his thoughts during his presentation as Roma’s head coach for a third time in his career. He began by reflecting on his decision to return, stating:
“I had retired from coaching. Over the last few months, I received more offers than I did after winning the Premier League with Leicester, but I always said no. I would only return for two reasons – for Roma or for Cagliari. I was very convinced it wouldn’t happen, but fate wanted me to come back home. I started at Roma as a player, and I will finish my career as a coach. I wanted to say this especially to the Cagliari fans.”
He then addressed the media about his commitment to Roma and his role as both coach and manager, close to the president. He shared details about his discussion with Dan Friedkin, Roma’s president, who expressed a strong desire to see the club succeed, despite challenges.
“I was clear with Friedkin about Dybala: I do what I want. I don’t care about clauses or rumors; I simply make decisions. If I get upset, you know how I am: I speak Roman and flip tables. I always speak honestly to the players, and they know what I think about Paulo. I know he can’t play all the time, but if he’s fit, he plays. I’d always let him play 90 minutes.”
Ranieri also touched on team goals, stating, “There is no specific target, but if we achieve something, there will be rewards. What’s important now is to do well and give our best for the fans.”
He didn’t rule out involving Roma legends Francesco Totti and Daniele De Rossi in the future:
“I don’t exclude anyone. Maybe we’ll talk to Francesco to see what he can contribute. I’ve felt for De Rossi because he’s a great person. Honestly, right now, I’m focused on managing the team. I don’t want to deceive anyone about the future. The team is unsettled because we’ve had two coaches in November, and now we need to find the right path.”
Ranieri also emphasized the importance of unity between the team and its supporters. “Playing while hearing the whistles from your own fans is very hard. They have their reasons, but I ask for unity now. I want a team and a fanbase united – we are all one family. We don’t have time for mistakes, and we need to make sure the fans leave the stadium proud of what they saw.”
