Spalletti's pre-Chievo Verona press conference in full

On Friday afternoon coach Luciano Spalletti faced the media to preview Saturday's Serie A meeting against Chievo Verona.

The game at the Stadio Bentegodi is the Giallorossi's last away fixture of the campaign, with the team looking to win both their remaining matches and clinch second in the final Serie A standings.

Read what Spalletti had to say about the game when he was questioned by reporters.

Is there a risk your concentration could slip after the Juventus win?

“Not from where I'm standing, no. The risk is we could come up against a good side that can cause us problems. Chievo have shown that they’re capable of making it difficult for the bigger teams in the league this season. They have a very clear identity and they pursue that through a brand of football which combines pace with great quality. That’s the risk.

“I’ve told the players that we need to win every game. As far as I’m concerned, we have two games left to win if we’re going to finish ahead of Napoli and the players have to give 100% at all times. There's no other way to go about things if we want to build a great future. We need to make sure the present is great because you build your future based on what you do in these games and this season.”

Do you believe in a Scudetto miracle?

“We need think about nothing but the fact that we have this chance to re-play our Champions League play-off against Porto. Chievo and Genoa are those two legs against Porto.

“Juventus will win the league: they’ve been the best side, they’ve set the pace, they’ve stepped up in every game and they've received international recognition for it.

“It doesn’t change anything for us. If we want the miracle, we just need to win these two matches – nothing else. We have to do exactly the same thing regardless of whether it's for second or first place.

“All I'm thinking about is Chievo's diamond formation. I stopped at the gate to sign autographs for some children and I nearly signed the autographs with Chievo and a diamond because that’s all we’ve been talking about.

“We want to be playing in the best football competition there is – it’s a wonderful competition. We’ve given ourselves the chance to play it next season and we mustn't let it slip away from us now. That said, we have opponents to play against and tomorrow they're going to be very tough.”

Will Edin Dzeko be involved tomorrow?

“Yes, he's available.”

Juventus could face Crotone on Sunday just one point ahead of Roma. Would finishing second so close behind Juve make you feel proud or disappointed?

“When we're working towards a target we go about it seriously and that's what we've done all season long. I think it's a bit excessive to call it disappointment. Of course, there were a few bad results over the course of the season and you may be a little regretful that you weren't able to do better in that game or in that period. But we can leave all those regrets behind us now because we have this fantastic target before us. We're all looking at that – that's what we're aiming for and that's what we want. We've fought tooth and nail both when we were in good spells and in tougher spells and we don't want to waste this opportunity now.”

How is Francesco Totti going into these last two games?

“He's part of our team and he's our most important player, a legend. That's what he's been and what he will remain. He represents Roma: however you look at Roma, you'll always find Totti the footballer is there before anything else. But then, as I've said all along, I have to treat him as a member of this team. And if I want to be fair and do the right thing, I have to make choices which I know haven't always gone his way. I'm sorry about that but I'll continue to pick the team based on what I feel is the best thing for Roma in order to try and win these last two games.”

Does it annoy you to see so many coaches linked with the Roma job?

“I think it's perfectly normal because the names doing the rounds are experienced coaches who have won things elsewhere; they've got the right pedigree to coach Roma in future.

“All we need to do is work hard for a better future. People at this club have already shown they're doing their jobs well by bringing in people like Monchi. It shows they want to bring the best there is to Roma and it sends out the right message.

“If other people want to be in my position, it means I have to be better than them. You don't make yourself look good by lowering the level of the others; you have to take on the challenge and clear the obstacle.”

Is it nice to hear your name linked with the Inter dugout?

“If we were to sign a contract today, be it me or any of my players, it would have the same thing written on it: Chievo. Chievo. That's all we're thinking about.

"All we're interested in at the moment is how to defend against Chievo's rapid forward passes. They're among the worst teams for possession in the opposition half but they're up there with some of the best stats for quick forward passes. They've been caught offside more than most teams but they're the best at winning the second balls. We need to be capable enough to adapt our game to cancel out their strengths.

"We mustn't care in the slightest about who the next coach of Inter or Roma will be. All we're interested in is Chievo's diamond. That's all I want to talk about.”

How do you solve the problem of dropping points against the small teams? It happened to you at Roma in 2008 too...

“Did we win four games against the Milan clubs that year? No. So while we've dropped points at certain places, we've won at others. Look at Crotone: all of a sudden there was a spark and they pulled together, became a team and their fans have helped them.

“You shouldn't just look at the games you've lost but the ones you've won too. I'd never beaten Juventus in the league before this year – just once in the Coppa Italia. We've recorded some great results this season. This team has put everything together and made it possible.

"It's games like this that can give us reason to smile again. There have been times where we've had results that hurt. Tomorrow we can wipe all the sadness away.”

What would you be prepared to do for Roma to win the title this year?

“Ask me that question again next week.”

What frame of mind will you be in when you sit down to discuss your future with the club's management?

“As far as I'm concerned, our planning for the future depends on us winning tomorrow.”