Claudio Ranieri on Roma’s future coach, Friedkin’s ambition and more | OneFootball

Coming off the New Year, Roma manager Claudio Ranieri spoke at length to Gazzetta dello Sport about the capital club’s plans and ambitions.

When asked to review his personal year of 2024, Ranieri replied, “Overall, the year has been positive.”

“Saving Cagliari was nice. Then I thought I had stopped, and wanted to travel with my family. And instead this opportunity to work at Roma again came up.”

“When you take over mid-season there is always a bit of confusion, the players’ morale is not at its best. I tried to give them back enthusiasm and a smile.”

“Little by little we are coming together: we have done well, but not yet as I would like. The road in football is always uphill.”

“In England they say: “Rome wasn’t built overnight”. No one has a magic wand. I was asked to put things back in their place, also acting as an advisor. They had already asked me at Chelsea, but I said no. In England I don’t have the connections I have here to do things properly.”

“Rome is my life, now I have more experience, I’m vaccinated against everything. And then I have a childhood dream, that of someone who went to the Curva Sud. And I like the dual role I was given, that of coach and executive.”

“As a a coach I look at the players and take notes on what kind of signings are needed. You can’t do everything right away, some champions have to be created. I am convinced that our young players are good. Now only a fortune teller can say if they will become champions, but they have the qualities to be important players.”

“Pisilli? He is good, but there are also Baldanzi and Soulé, who I am convinced will soon blossom.”

“Young players need to be supported, helped. And instead they found themselves in the open sea, alone. And here too we need to improve. This is why I have focused on experienced veterans like Hummels, Paredes, Pellegrini, Cristante and Mancini, they are the ones who have to lead the way.”

“Think about Hummels, he kept himself alive only with his great professionalism, he gave 100% even if the Juric didn’t rely on him. If young people are intelligent, they take this to heart and learn.”

“Pisilli and Svilar’s contractual situation? As a coach and advisor, I suggested that we reach an agreement for their renewals and close the issue as soon as possible. It is good for the boys to be calm and know that the club is counting on them.”

“Hummels, Paredes and Dybala? They are three world champions. In football there is no winning system, it is the players who are winners. It was logical to start again from them.”

“Pellegrini? This is the issue that is closest to my heart. Lorenzo is a wonderful boy and an exemplary professional. But he is an atypical Roman, he does not express emotions, in this we are similar. However, he remains one of the best Italian midfielders, he and Lampard have scored many goals for me. Now he has to put his smile back on, but he also needs the help of the fans. Instead, it seems that he has now been condemned. Will he recover? I don’t know, I hope so.”

“Dybala? Paulo is a champion: if he wants to stay, he must stay.”

“Dybala’s contract? It is not up to me, but to the owners to decide whether to renew or spread his salary. It is up to me to make the technical evaluation and understand if he can be a valid player for the new coach. Dybala certainly can.”

“My objective? To climb as high as possible. We made mistakes in Naples and the second half in Como. For the rest I’m happy. We also played a good match against Atalanta, then the changes made the difference. They’ve been there for 9 years, I’ve been here for a month.”

“Roma must do what the president asked: return to the top to go to the Champions League and then try to compete for the Scudetto in the coming years.”

“The Friedkins? I’ve had dealings with a lot of presidents. I was very clear with them, as I always am. Ours is a beautiful relationship, we talk often. And they ask for information, they want to know about everything.”

“The Friedkins told me that they parted ways with De Rossi on excellent terms. It’s true that I told them about Dybala: “If he’s well, he has to play, I don’t accept interference,” and they complied right away.”

“Dovbyk? Artem is a very sensitive boy. He was used to playing differently, but now we are starting to understand each other. Maybe he hasn’t scored many goals, but he creates the chances the team needs to score goals. Let’s leave him alone, with the goals will come the confidence.”

“The January market? We have to evaluate everything carefully. It’s a very difficult market, we have ideas, but not every club is willing to sell. With 2-3 additions I would be happy.”

“The future coach? There’s a lot of names that came out, including Ancelotti which is a Roman myth by now, but the truth is I haven’t called anyone yet.”

“Inside me now I have this mission, to do well with Roma and open my horizons. I don’t think about another year of coaching here, but I didn’t think about it when I left Cagliari either. I didn’t stop because I felt exhausted. The fire inside me is always there, but I wanted to see the world.”

“The derby? The derby is a game that prepares itself. The coach has to be the equalizer, it is a game that many feel, we have to stay calm. It will be a difficult challenge, Lazio is in a splendid moment: they play well, they create a lot, they are where they deserve to be. They know how to be compact, they have created problems for everyone.”

“Would I bring back Totti? I have to understand what Francesco can and wants to do, the day will come when I will ask him. At Milan Maldini was taken into consideration, but now there is Ibra and I don’t think they can coexist. Then there is Del Piero who can do anything. We are waiting to understand from Francesco what he wants to do.”

“Winning a cup this season? We will try, we will leave no stone unturned. I have been a battle player, I have always given it my all. If you fight to the end, even adversity can be overcome. I do not believe much in luck and bad luck, I believe in work.”