Ranieri speaks ahead of Athletic return leg

Here's what he had to say...

How has your job changed with the introduction of five subs? Or, as Massimiliano Allegri says, is a good coach one who does the least damage?

 “Definitely. A coach is good when he doesn't do much damage. I always say that. A coach's strength is his players and I'm lucky to have good players who listen to me and who know that if I make a mistake it's done with good intentions. They know I have no ulterior motives and I try to help them with everything I have and everything I know. Of course you need five players who deserve to play, who don't play from the start but who understand the problem. We can all be a bit prickly and they might think that if they don't play it means I don't trust them, or something like that. But my players know that to me they are all not the same but all different to each other. Over the course of a match there are lots of smaller matches and these players allow me to change things. I'm lucky to have these players to work with.” 

Are you able to repeat the first leg?

 “I think there are already lots of games within a game. And no two games are ever alike. Tomorrow  Athletic will have their fans behind them and they'll be pushing even harder. We must be good at playing our own game, without fear, and try to attack and defend as we've been doing lately.

[Ranieri speaks after a question to Dybala about his leadership qualities, among other things]

 “He's not just a leader with his charisma and talent; he's a leader in every way. He's part of a group doing what's best for the team. This is a team sport after all. I'm lucky to have leaders who feel they are part of the team's fortunes. Everything they do is for the good of the team. He's understood that and he's like that himself. Him and his team-mates.” 

What will the team's mindset be? Like there hadn't been a first leg or thinking you can win or draw and go through?

 “I say we have to go out there and play our game, in the knowledge that we have a good, solid, tough team that will try to win the game. If we go onto the pitch with a sense of fear or the thought that we can afford to draw, then we'll lose. I've already told them we need to play our usual game. Attacking and defending with 11 men, remembering our strengths and our weaknesses – and trying to cover up our weaknesses as best we can. We know what they are.”

Could this match be a crossroads in Roma's season, in one way or another?

 “We'll only know that when we get there. I tell the lads to erase the previous game, whether we won or lost it. What's done is done. Water under the bridge. We have to think about the match we have to play tomorrow. Once it's over, I already have the videos for the Cagliari game. That's how I work: one game at a time. I can't even remember the result from two games ago, or the players, because I'm focused on this game. That's what I want. I'm not interested in whether we'll go through or not, in whether it's a crossroads or not. Tomorrow is a big match. That's all. On Sunday we have another big match. I try to get the best out of the team and myself, one game at a time.” 

You won here in Bilbao with Valencia in 1996. Now you're back here, almost 30 years later, playing for something important. Do you feel a bit of pride in that?

 “Last season I knew I was retiring so when I went to the Olimpico, San Siro and so on, I said it was my last time there. Whoever would have imagined I'd be coming back to La Catedral. I am proud but when I stop coaching I'll look back at what I did and I'll say I could have done better. For sure. Knowing how I am, and being very strict with myself, I'll look more at the mistakes I made. But that's life and I have no problem facing up to my mistakes, just as I don't I don't go crazy about things I've done well. I put it all into the same pot. And I'm a lucky man. Lucky to have coached for so long. Lucky because being around young people keeps you young. Lucky because I'm doing a job I love. Not many people can say, 'I'm doing the job I wanted and it's fed me and my family,' So I'm happy.”

In the first leg Roma conceded from a set-piece and they've conceded seven so far this season. Do you think you're able to change that?

 “You can't change from one day to the next, although I've tried both zonal and man-marking. When I said that we'd need to cover up our weaknesses, this is one of them. And we're against a team that excels at set-pieces. So we'll need to be very careful.

[The coach speaks in response to a question put to Dybala about his fitness.]

 “I'm lucky to have a brilliant backroom team. I'm just the tip of the iceberg. Behind me I have a core group of people who work night and day to look after our players. One of whom is Paulo. It's not just one person but an entire team who, with me, study different methods and how much rest to give the players. It's a whole series of factors, not just one exercise. Otherwise, why didn't he do it before? It's a whole series of factors that prevent players from getting injured. 

 “We unearthed a statistic. If I'm not wrong, we're the team with the fewest injuries and now [Zeki] Celik is injured. And that's a problem. But that's football. You get problems in football. We can only hope it's just a brief spell and not a serious injury.”

Is there a reason why Alexis Saelemaekers hasn't started the last few games?

 “No. Just as Hummels wasn't playing, Saelemaekers wasn't playing. I have lots of players and they can all play well. There's no harm in them resting a bit. Besides, when he came on he performed well, scoring or setting up goals, so I'm happy. It's fine by me.”

What memories do you have of Athletic's stadium? And what will be the key to success tomorrow?

“The atmosphere will be incredible. They have amazing fans and it's a jewel of a stadium. Congratulations all round. I don't know what the key will be, but I hope it's Italian. We're up against a great team that plays fast, direct football. They're not your typical Spanish team that has a lot of possession. We know what their strengths are and how to play against them. We'll see what happens.”