Ranieri delivers pre-Como press conference

Here’s what our head coach had to say…

What’s the latest on Artem Dovbyk? Do you think he’s the future of Roma or will you need to improve in that area?

“Let’s just enjoy what he’s doing this season for now. The lad is on the up and should be available for selection tomorrow. We’ll see. Everyone involved in football is under scrutiny, and not just Dovbyk – the whole squad are.”

There have been some names mentioned regarding your successor. Does this unsettle you a bit? Does it bother you? Will you have a say as to who you’ll pass the baton on to?

“It’s part of the reason I was given my job – I can advise. The owners will then take one decision or another. That’s what I’ll do. My job remit is to suggest a wide range of people who can coach Roma, and this is what I’ll do. Does it bother me? The lads are aware that we’re all under scrutiny. They’ve got to knuckle down.

“I think they suffered a lot at the beginning and the middle of the season. Now they’re doing what they can. It doesn’t bother me because I know what my role is. It doesn’t annoy me or the team. You can have your fun – every week you can speculate over names, saying this guy is coming in or that guy is coming in. It’s all fine for us.”

Roma have come a long way since the last time you faced Como, as have Cesc Fabregas’ side. You’ve praised him before. Do you think he’d be ready to lead Roma?

“I don’t know if he’d be ready, but what I can say is that within three to four years he’ll be at the top. I’ll tell you another thing – Como are like the Parma side from the 1990s. They’re destined to go up and up. I can’t add anything else besides say that once [Pep] Guardiola said that playing against Atalanta was like going to the dentist. Well, I’d say that facing this Como side is like going to the dentist – but with no anaesthesia! That’s what I’m expecting from Sunday’s match. It’s set to be a really tough game and we’ll have to be really careful and prepared for every eventuality. They’re a very good side.”

Is Mats Hummels back to his best? Does he know what decision he’ll take regarding his future?e.”

"I don't ask the lad a lot about his future. I told him that he’s a role model for many young people. Then it's up to him to choose - we must respect him in everything he does, and as to whether he still wants to run and to sacrifice himself. As for the season, we’ve got to play three games a week. I’ll try to pick the right team to beat the opponents in front of us. Sometimes this will work and sometimes it won’t. I don’t take the player’s name or salary into consideration. I watch the training sessions and I’m won over to make certain choices by what my players do. He’s back. He needed a rest but now he’s available.”

You said that it's your job to suggest the coach, then it's up to the president to choose the coach. Shouldn't someone with your experience be doing a bit more than just suggesting?

“I think the owners trust me. I'll point out the pros and cons of each coach. Then it's up to them to ask me further details. If I suggest someone, it's because I'm convinced by them. I'll be able to say, 'I think this is the right one', this one is here', 'this one is above' and 'this one is below'. I think it's the president's duty to say if he's convinced more by one name than another. I'll suggest good coaches – coaches I think are good for Roma.”

Could Daniele De Rossi be one of the names you suggest to Friedkin?

“I've seen Walter Sabatini's interviews. From what I've heard he's a great coach. And I agree. He has to follow his path and then he'll come back to Roma stronger than he was when he was here.”

Have you enquired about any coaches? And if so, were you happy with the answer they gave you?

“I promise you that I've only enquired about the teams I have to play against. That's all I'm interested in. Don't ask me about other things. This is a first for you guys too, isn't it? You don't normally get to ask a coach, 'Who's going to replace you?' But let's talk about football. We have this huge, huge game on Sunday. Believe me. We've spent far too little time talking about it. Look at the phenomenal things Nico Paz does. [Assane] Diao too. Everyone wanted them. With a Spanish coach, and with the philosophy he has, they're doing well. They're a big part of his plans. And they're a team that play really well. They're a team. Como are a team.”

I was going to ask you about Gian Piero Gasperini, but I'll move on to another topic.

“You can write it anyway, can't you? One day it's [Massimiliano] Allegri, another day it's someone else. Write it.”

Actually it was to avoid writing it.

“No, you go ahead and write. I have a very difficult job but I don't envy you guys either. Filling the pages every day is not easy. If I were to tell you 'It's this guy', you'd fill all your pages for four days but then what would you ask me? Which players are coming and going. This way when you have to write something you say, 'I've heard from Trigoria that it's this guy.' And so on.”

How do you decide when to rotate or rest players? 

“I think it's very hard for a player to perform at the same level for a whole season. Sometimes you take a player off for the last ten minutes to lighten the load a little, but I don't think you can manage a player's physical and mental form and get 12 months out of them. Even if you intersperse appearances, you won't get 12 months out of them. From my experience, I think a player can be in form for three or four months but then they'll suffer a dip. You have to decide if it's a small dip that doesn't create problems, if everything is running like clockwork, or if you should take them out and give them a few games' rest, as I've done with some of the players. That's the way I see it.”

Why was Angelino taken off ten minutes before the end of the Monza game? To prevent possible injuries or something else? 

“As a coach sometimes you're reluctant to make substitutions because it can send out the message that the game is over. I don't want to do that. I want the game to finish when it's supposed to finish. So I waited a bit longer before taking him off.”

Nicolas Burdisso was in the stands for the last game. Is he someone you're considering bringing to the club?

“So, what, he comes and I leave?”

No, in a management role.

“I saw him at San Siro too.”

Yes, and he was linked with Milan.

“So let's continue like that. Let's link anyone who comes to the Olimpico to Roma.”

How is Lucas Gourna-Douath settling in?

“He's come in and we're slowly getting to know him better. I'm explaining things to him. Obviously the team is running like clockwork now. I'm waiting for the right time to introduce him. The same for all the new guys of course. I'm been working with some of the players for three months. They've only just come in. Obviously they need to get in sync with everyone else.”

Is Alexis Saelemaekers' future at Roma? Will you sign him permanently regardless of Tammy Abraham?

“That doesn't depend on me. I give my opinion on the technical aspect. The financial aspect is not my area.”