Ranieri confirms his farewell at the end of the season and defends Dovbyk: “He still has a lot of margins, he brought us important points”. On the race for the Champions League: “We have to fight until the end, the pressure is on the others”.
” Dovbyk ? I still believe in him, he’s a player who has made significant progress and still has a lot of room for improvement. He’s not a bad purchase , when you take the top scorer in La Liga it can’t be. Then there are those who adapt better and those who don’t. As a first year he’s positive, he’s brought us important points”. This was said by Claudio Ranieri, Roma coach , two days before the match against Fiorentina .
“Is it unsellable? I don’t like to talk about that, but about what we can achieve,” he added. “We want the best and these would be words that would distract us from today.”
On the possibility that the Ukrainian centre-forward will still play with Shomurodov , he replied: ” It’s an option , they are two complementary players.”
Finally, on the team that “is doing well and everyone will be there, except Dybala”, while on Koné he said: “He is a universal player, he can cover multiple roles. He is an intelligent boy, a box-to-box player but who can also play in front of the defense, based on the needs I decide where to use him”.
“It’s my last year, nothing will change my mind”
“Nothing will make me change my mind”: this is how Claudio Ranieri responded in a press conference to those who asked him if with the Champions League or a monstrous offer from the Friedkins he could change his mind and stay on the Roma bench.
” I love my team, my colors and everything that would selfishly lead me to do another year would be a mistake for Roma – he added -. The new coach will have to have time to get to know the club and I will help him in everything”.
Regarding when the new coach will be announced, he replied: “When Friedkin deems it appropriate.”
Speaking about the Champions League race and whether reaching fourth place can be compared to the feat achieved in England, he replied: ” There is nothing more than Leicester, even if I am tied to Roma. It is another piece that I would carry in my heart. But now what I say is important, we fight, we must not have excuses. There are 4 games and we must fight tooth and nail, but the pressure is on the others who have been up there for a long time”.
Ranieri then concluded by speaking about the situation of stadiums in Italy: ” Everyone in the world is renovating the facilities, the only ones who can’t do it are us Italians, there’s too much bureaucracy, it’s a disgrace. If there’s someone who makes a mistake, they have to go away. We’re fed up”.
