Claudio Ranieri’s thoughts after Athletic Club 3-1 AS Roma

Here’s what our coach had to say…

Do you think the foul [by Mats Hummels] was worthy of a sending off?

“I do. It was clear as day. He dwelt too long on the ball – he should’ve passed to the left. He didn't do so - instead he chose another option. These things happen. He’s a legend but these things happen. The team deserve credit - when we faced difficulties we came together, stuck together and fought as best as we could.

“One thing led to another. We held our own for the whole first half and we went and conceded a goal right before half time. I said to the guys 'OK, they scored at the end of the first half and we did the same at the end of the last match. There's a whole second half - we’ve got a chance to do a good job.’

“It's a shame because we were doing well. We were convinced that we’d perform. I always said that certain incidents go one way or the other, but I can't reproach the lads for anything - they played really well in difficult circumstances.”

Could someone like Artem Dovbyk have done more when the going got tough?

"It’s not the time to go around saying that this or that player could’ve done more than other options. We’re a team – we succeed or fail as a whole squad. I'm happy with our performance and if there's something that doesn't add up, we'll talk about it amongst ourselves."

What are Roma aiming for now?

"The goal is to always do our best. We’re a big club and we’ll try and take this team as far as possible. That's what I said at the beginning of my time here in November and I’ll stick with those words. I don't give up. I always want the best. This is what I demand of myself, as well as the lads. It was the same today when I said, 'Give me a proper performance and tonight we’ll have no regrets'.

“We did the best we could in an amazing and challenging environment, one similar to how it had been at the Olimpico. They deserve credit but so do my lads – they performed admirably.”

There’s something I’ve been wondering - at the end of the match we noticed that while you hugged Ernesto Valverde...

"… I gave him my business card, yes. We’re such good friends but I’d lost his phone number. I said to him, 'Take it, I want to talk to you'. It’s because he knows a lot of Spanish players and they could be of interest me. That's why. Otherwise I wouldn't have done it like that in front of everyone."

You’re only after advice on Spanish players, not coaches, right?

"Correct. You've already seen a lot of coaches go on their way - don't add him to the list."

Roma suffered a lot on set pieces, especially corners. The team struggled to cover the near post area and were beaten in this regard both in the first and second legs. On another note, how’s Manu Kone doing?

"Kone is fine, but I preferred to pick other players for a match like this. Yes, 57% of their balls went to the near post, and unfortunately they were better than us.”