RANIERI: "WE'LL GIVE EVERYTHING AND SEE WHERE THAT LEAVES US"
Roma's coach Claudio Ranieri held his customary pre-match press conference on Friday morning, looking ahead to the weekend meeting with Juventus, on Matchweek 36 of the Serie A TIM 2018/2019. The match against the Bianconeri takes place on Sunday, with kick-off at 20:30 local time.
“We’re fully aware that we let a good opportunity slip away in Genoa, but what we have to do now is produce a reaction for our fans – that’s what you need in times like this. When I came here, qualifying for the Champions League looked a tough ask, but we’re still in with a shot. We’ve got three games left and we don’t want to have any regrets. We’ll give our all and then we’ll take stock.”
On Edin Dzeko: “He’s a very good player – he’s determined and always trains hard, but of course it can happen where you have a season in which you get fewer goals. His desire and determination have always persuaded me to select him – he’s an important player for Roma. Even when he’s not scoring, as everyone expects from him, he plays in a way that helps his team-mates.”
On the four English teams in the European finals: “It’s surprised me a bit. In recent years it was highlighted that the lack of a winter break meant teams couldn’t go the distance in those competitions, without that period for players to recover. It was also seen as a disadvantage for the national team going into tournaments. Clearly the coaches have made some changes but it’s also the beautiful nature of football, where this can transpire and you have four English teams in the finals of the two major cups.”
On Nicolo Zaniolo: “We’ve spoken about this many times – he’s a box-to-box midfielder. He’s been an important player for me recently, as a trequartista and right winger, but neither of those are his role. He has got physical prowess and pace, characteristics that lend themselves to that position. This is his first full Serie A TIM season, so of course you can’t perform at 100% in every game. In recent training sessions, he’s been refreshed and full of desire – I think that’s important.”
On his future: “I came to Roma because my reaction to getting the call from the club, as a Roma fan, was one of excitement and good will. My job here runs until the end of this season.”
(Photo Getty Images)
