Claudio Ranieri's official unveiling

Read what our new boss had to say!

“Before answering any questions, I'd like to clarify a few things. I had given up coaching. But I have to say that I received more job offers in the last few months than I did after winning the Premier League with Leicester. It's incredible but true. And I always said no. I said there were only two circumstances in which I might coach again: either at Roma or at Cagliari. But I fully believed that I'd be watching football from the other side. Destiny decided that I should 'come home'. When I rejoined Cagliari, I said that I'd started my career at Cagliari and I would end it at Cagliari. However, clearly destiny had decided that Roma is where I began my playing career and where I should finish my coaching career and end up as a director. I just wanted to make that clear, for the record, because Cagliari welcomed me in as one of their own.”

In a recent interview with Radio Anch’io, you spoke about the Roma owners and expressed some doubts. Did you talk about those topics with the Friedkins in London? Do you think they have learned from certain mistakes?

“Anyone who knows me knows that I always speak honestly. So yes, I told him. And to be quite honest, I was amazed by the things he said, by how much he cares about this team, this city, this club. And not because it's his club. He says he can't bear to see that Rome is Caput Mundi, the capital of the world, and the team is struggling. He knows he's spent a lot of money and hasn't managed to achieve what he wanted. And that's why he brought me in. Now it's up to me. With my experience. With my methods. And I hope to succeed in the task I've been given. When he explained those things, I couldn't say no. I thank him for bringing me home. I thank him because the fans know that if I say something, I'll do everything I can to achieve it. Not to blow smoke in people's eyes. That's something I feel I can say to everyone.”

[Ranieri then adds to an answer Florent Ghisolfi gave about the club structure] 
“We're used to seeing things as a pyramid. The Americans and the Friedkin family see things horizontally, as a collective. So any decisions that are taken will be taken with everyone's consent. We're all working to get Roma back where the club should be, where our fans dream of us being. I said to the president, 'You've spent a lot of money.' And I asked him, 'Why don't you come out and say it? If you do, the city will love you.' And he replied, 'All in good time.' Right now he's shocked of course. He's poured in a boatload of cash and not got results. Maybe he chose the wrong people. Maybe he got other things wrong. Something didn't go the right way for sure. Hopefully things will start going the right way now. I certainly hope so, first and foremost as a fan. And secondly as someone who's working for this club as a director and as a coach, to help Florent and everyone else make sure things go the right way.”

You've used every formation in the book during your career and at Cagliari you often opted for a three-man defence. What's the best system for this team?

“I don't think there's such a thing as a basic system, apart from perhaps in the case of teams that have had the same coach for many years. Even [Gian Piero] Gasperini doesn't only use three at the back anymore. And he's been there [at Atalanta] for nine years now. All coaches try to make changes during the match to mess up the opposition's plans. So if I was to say, 'I'm going to play this way or that way,' I wouldn't be honest with myself, let alone with you or the fans. First I have to see what form everyone is in, then I'll decide whether to play with three, four, or five.

“It's not about the formation; it's about the players. It's about having players who want to spit blood, even when things aren't going well. I don't want them to let up for a second. I'm a fan first and a coach second. When I left, I said, 'I'm more of a fan than anyone.' I was winning 3-0 in Genoa and I lost 4-3. I went into the dressing room and I said, 'Gentleman, goodbye.' That's why I ask the fans to get behind us. As a former player myself, as a sports lover, I can tell you that playing at home with your own fans booing you is the hardest thing in the world. Because when you play away and the fans boo you, it fires you up. But your own fans... and they were rightly unhappy. But I can tell you that it wasn't for a lack of commitment. They were putting everything into it, albeit maybe sometimes running without purpose. They were putting everything into it but it wasn't working. I believe you make your own luck if you sweat for it. You might not be lucky one, two, three times, but if you keep at it, sooner or later you'll get luck on your side.

“I want the team and the fans to be united. We're all one family. Club, management, coaches, players, kitmen, medical staff, groundsmen, everyone. I spoke to everyone and told them they have to help me as much as possible. I don't have time to make mistakes. We'll start with three fantastic games. I have to bring the fans to the stadium and send them away thinking, 'At least we tried' if we don't win. We fought to the very last second, even if it didn't go our way. They have to go away feeling proud of their team. That's something I want to promise the fans and promise myself.”

What's your target for this season? And what will your management role be exactly?

“The target is to do everything we can. Besides my contract, I have bonuses for achieving certain goals, all sorts of goals. When I was at Leicester, I even had a bonus in my contract for winning the league – at a club whose supposed target was staying up. Obviously I've included all possible targets – I don't want to exclude anything.

“I know there are difficulties but I'm a positive person. I don't look at Roma and think, 'What's happened to my Roma.' I always give everything, as I did when I was a player. I knew that I might play well or play badly but I had to give everything on the pitch. There are Roma fans who make the most incredible journeys. The other day I was in Cagliari for Gigi Riva's 80th and I came across three Roma fans on their way back from [the Union Saint-Gilloise game in] Belgium. In Cagliari! I said to them, 'Wow, that's some round-trip you guys have made.' And then go from Cagliari to Rome. They said, 'Because it cost less this way.' Some people make enormous sacrifices and that's something we should feel when we go out onto the pitch.

“As for my management role, I'm the person closest to the Friedkin family. So that we can do everything together. We'll assess things, we'll look at things and we'll try to make as few mistakes as possible. But remember, you can only make mistakes if you try. There's a beautiful building in Florence which says, 'It's easier to criticise than to do'. We'll try to do things and we'll be criticised but we'll try to do things the right way. That's what's been asked of me. They need someone who's well-known and who understands football to make sure Roma are always up there in the top positions. It might be first, second, third or fourth, because that's the nature of the game, but the president wants a serious team, a serious club. He's made lots of changes. When I saw Trigoria, I hardly recognised it. He's doing some wonderful things but the team is the most important of all. I told him, 'You can do everything but the team is your calling card.' Rome is famous across the world and he wants Roma to be famous for the football team as well.”

Is bringing Francesco Totti back to the club part of your plans?

 “I wouldn't rule anything out, to be honest. Obviously right now the priority is to get the team back up where it should be but I'm sure we'll talk to Francesco. Why not? If he can give us a hand... We'll see what he can do for us. We're not excluding anything. I don't exclude anything. But that doesn't mean 'Totti is coming back to Roma'. Because I know what your journalists are like with your headlines. Please be honest. Otherwise it will be like the other day when I supposedly said Roma would be 'a tough nut to crack'. I didn't say that. The person who told you I said that used the expression. I didn't know she worked for ANSA. I replied, 'Of course. That's why they called me.' Would they have called me if Roma had been top of the league? And they were reported as my words. Well, it is what it is... But you journalists are very good. You know about everything, even down to the blades of grass.”

Have you asked for any players in January?

“No, because I need to understand things first. I need to see first hand and understand what this player or that player can give me. Roma signed lots of very good young players. Young players need to be bedded into a team that's compact. Here there was a change of one coach, a change of another... Instead of protecting these young players, who are all talented, we're throwing them in the deep end. I think they're all good. We'll see between now and January but if there are opportunities to sign players – and I'm sure there will be – then I think they'll satisfy my requests.

“Something I'd like to make clear, in all team sports, is there's no such thing as a player 'playing against the coach'. That's just not true. There are coaches who are able to find a way to get inside the head of every single player and get them producing 120%. There are coaches and players who don't particularly get on, who just aren't on the same wavelength, and so that player doesn't give 120% but maybe 80%. And 80% at Roma isn't enough. The players at Roma have to give 120%. One way or another. Otherwise they stay off the pitch. I read criticism of some key players but I saw them running around giving everything. Maybe they weren't running well but they were committed. They always gave heart and soul. They gave their all, though I want them to give even more for me. But we mustn't boo them. We have to help them. We mustn't boo anyone. Do it after the final whistle. I'll come over to the crowd after the game and you can boo me. But don't do it during the match.”

Have you spoken to Daniele De Rossi in the last few days? Do you think the team miss him? A lot has been said about his sacking...

“We've spoken and we'll speak again over the coming days. Because besides being a former player of mine, Daniele is also a great person.

“As for the team, I've only seen a quarter of them because lots aren't here. But changing two coaches in a short space of time is not easy for anyone. One wants to play one way, one wants to play another. A bit of shock is normal. I hope to get everyone pulling in the same direction again.”

Where do you need to start to make sure the same mistakes aren't repeated?

“I don't know. There are a thousand contributing factors. To be honest, I'm not even that interested. There's a new person, a new coach who's been given a free hand, and I have to do my utmost with these players. I'm not interested in what happened before. I have talk about what will happen from now on. I'm responsible from today.”

Can you promise we won't see Angelino playing at centre-back anymore? And do you think Matias Soule and Paulo Dybala can play together?

“I promise. And I think they can play well together. The team needs a certain balance but I think they can play together. I'm not going to promise it though, because maybe I won't feel it's right.”

Have the Friedkins admitted their mistakes? Have you spoken about the management structure and someone who might work alongside you?

“I like to be alone. The dressing room is what matters to me. The fewer people I see, the better. I know that in Italy people expect the owner to be present. And that's something I said to the president. In Italy the president has to show his face. But if you look around, foreign owners never talk much. I only ever used to meet [Roman] Abramovich on the plane. They never spoke or said anything. And I was always happy that way. We Italians need a president figure. In other countries they don't. The president is there to pay the wages at the end of the month.

“Has he realised? If he called me, it means he realised. Did some people make mistakes? That's for him to know. I never said that so-and-so made mistakes, or that this person did this or that. He said to me, 'I want to take Roma up high, that's why I called you.' What more does someone need to say? What do I need? I have the players, I don't need anything else. I don't need anything. You journalists need more people. The more people there are, the more articles you can produce. And I understand your position because it's not easy to fill so many pages every day. You have my admiration. I'm sure I'll hate you when you write nonsense... But it's not easy and I know that.”

Don't you think the club statement announcing your appointment focuses a bit too much on the future rather than on the season at hand, which is central?

“No, it's absolutely central. Totally central. I'm a coach but I've always been a coach with a long-term vision. This isn't the first president who's asked me to do this. I've always said I want to be able to choose, act, say this is good and this isn't, but I don't want to talk about money. I'm happy with the money I'm given. I don't want to talk to agents. I want to tell you what I need and what I don't need. I'm a coach. Of course when you concentrate on the bigger picture, that's another matter.”

You said you asked your staff to make as few mistakes as possible. What did you ask the players? 

“More or less the same things I've already told you. I want everything from you. You have to give me your all because Roma cannot be in this situation. We have to come here to work seriously with a smile on our faces. I can't accept anyone going to any workplace with a worried look on their faces. We are incredibly lucky because we've chosen our jobs. There are millions of people who don't have a job at all and many more who can't choose theirs. For those people, we have to come in here with a huge smile and work hard, with determination. That's the only way to get results. And they must be ambitious.”

Have you thought of bringing back De Rossi as coach once you take up a management position? Could that be a possibility for the future given that you'll have a say in the matter?

“That's an excellent question. For now I've been placed in charge of the team so I'm focused on that. I don't want to lead anyone on. We'll see. That's not something I spoke about with the Friedkins.”

What can you tell us about Dybala?

“That's the first thing I asked the president. I said, 'I make my own decisions. Is that clear?' I don't want to know if he's got a clause or not. Once there was an owner who said to me, 'If this player plays, you'll be out.' I replied, 'I'm not going to exclude him from the squad, as you want. If that's what you want, you should state publicly that he can't be part of the squad. You're the president after all. Anyway, the player stayed in the squad. He didn't take him out. Do you think he played? Yes, he played. And I was out. But I can look myself in the mirror. I told this story to the president when we were talking about Dybala. You always see me smiling but I get angry, I shout in Roman dialect, I overturn tables... What you see here is one side of me, but I don't pull any punches when I talk to my presidents. Then afterwards, everything's rosy again. I was very clear about Dybala: I don't know if it's true, but I'll pick who I want. Did the president accept that? Of course he did. Otherwise, he wouldn't have brought me in.

“You can see he's a different class. I don't want to offend my players. I'm very jealous of my players. But you can see that when Dybala is fit, he's a match-winner. I'll talk to him. I've seen the fixture list and we have two games every week. I don't know if he can play every game. We'll see. We exchanged a few words. I reminded him of when I was coaching Sampdoria and he scored one and [Cristiano] Ronaldo got the other. We'd played brilliantly and they produced these marvels. And when we went back out after half time, I complimented them both. Paulo scored a goal like Totti's volleys: boom! And he remembered that. He'll be very much in my thoughts, then of course it's up to me to decide when he plays. If it were for me, he could play 90 minutes of every game. Can he do it? I doubt it. But if he's up to it, I'm not going to take him off.”

When did you get the call from president Friedkin? And regarding your management role, is that something you've been offered before?

“Florent called me on Monday morning. He said, 'Claudio, I'd like to speak with you.' He came to my house and told me the president was waiting for me in London. And in no time we organised the flight to go there. That's how it was decided: coach, director, the president's aide, all together for the good of Roma.”

Will you play Mats Hummels?

“I watched some of his games. I saw the final against Real Madrid and other games and I thought, 'Why can't this guy play?' We'll see. I want to pick the players who can win games for me.”