Ranieri: Players will have to make sacrifices for the team

The game at the Stadio Olimpico gets underway at 20:30.

Read what Ranieri had to say ahead of the contest, after he rejoined the Giallorossi on Friday.

What are your feelings, compared to 2009?

“It’s always a wonderful feeling. I carry on doing this job for emotions like this. Coming back to Rome is always something special, for us Romans and particularly for fans of the club. I feel great and we have big ambitions. I know it’s a tough moment for the club but I’m ready to fight.”

You’ve had two training sessions with the players, what impressions do you have?

“I only had one proper training session, as many of the players were recovering from the Porto trip. I’ll talk to each of the players today, but right now motivation is the key for us. I know we’re having a difficult time but, in my view, as someone coming from the outside, the Champions League places are not far away. The next two games are crucial, and our fans have a crucial role to play.

"These lads are struggling, and they want the appreciation of the supporters. I cannot take this team to the Champions League on my own, with the help of the fans alone I’ll feel more confident. I know that with the Roma fans behind you, pushing you on, anything can happen. Since I’m a Roma fan, I’m asking for my own help too.”

What has struck you about this squad? Is your priority to sort out the defence?

“The team scores goals but we need focus in the back-line. When I got the chance to watch Roma, I saw that many goals came from moments where we had the ball. We need to be careful not to lose the ball. When you concede, the player who made the mistake feels culpable and can lose their way. We will work on giving the ball away less often.”

It was with you that Roma last went close to winning the Scudetto. What can you cling onto to maintain belief in your aim?

“To have that belief, I cling onto the fans, as well as the willingness and desire of the players. To react I think the players need to feel loved. It’s not nice to play at home with the fear of making a mistake. That’s why I ask the fans: stick with us, we need you. I show what I feel inside. I want to see players with anger and determination, then we can accept mistakes. I want to see players who are ready to die out on the field.”

Is Alessandro Florenzi a full back or a winger? Is Nicolo Zaniolo a central or wide midfielder? Can Edin Dzeko and Patrik Schick play together?

“Florenzi is an all-rounder, who can play in attack or defence. It depends on the game. He just needs to recover – I know what he’s going through. For a Roma fan, each error weighs that much more upon you. He needs to bring out that Roman nature from within – chest puffed out. There are lots more games to play and I have big expectations of him.

"Zaniolo’s role is central but I may need some of the central midfielders to make sacrifices, but that’s something I’ll sort out by talking directly to the players. Dzeko and Schick need to play together. Schick showed real grit and desire when he came on against Porto. He’s got great quality – he’s strong, pacey and technical. He’s almost getting into his stride and the Roma fans could really grow to love him.”

What do you think of Javier Pastore?

“I’ve not seen him here at Roma, but I know that Pastore is a player with a sublime level of class. I need players that show me they want to make the difference – players that run, fight and help their team-mates. I don’t look at names, ages, salaries.

"We need to be a team; players that help one another and commit for 90 minutes will have a better chance of playing. Everyone needs to give more – if we’re struggling it’s because we’ve not given all we could. There’s no need for discussion. The coach has paid the price and now the players need to show us what they can do. I’ll help them to do that.”

You’ve signed a contract for 12 matches. On 1 July, where do you see yourself?

“What I see is myself here with you and on the bench tomorrow night. I’m used to taking things step by step. I would never have taken a job at another club under these circumstances but when Roma call, my answer is yes.”

What effect will the changes made in the aftermath of Porto v Roma have on the environment at Trigoria?

“I’m not interested in all that. They need to give their best, whether it’s with me or someone else. They need to give everything – if Roma have bought them, and they earn what they earn, it’s because they deserve it, but they need to show us that. I want a happy side, with smiles on their faces, who fight and never give up. We all have our problems – I leave mine at home and everyone else should do the same.”

When you saw the call from Francesco Totti what did you think? What did you say to each other? Have you spoken to Eusebio Di Francesco?

“I don’t remember what Francesco said. He asked me where I was, and we carried on speaking. I haven’t heard from Eusebio – I understand the disappointment of being sacked. I was a whole-hearted supporter of his, both last season and this one. I feel very sorry for him – he’s a fantastic professional. Did he make mistakes? Every single one of us does. I left a larger pay packet behind than the one I’m getting now – the money doesn’t matter. What matters is the shirt.”

Will it be harder to sort out this team compared to the one you took over in 2009?

“That was a great side, who were perhaps at the end of their growth trajectory. I managed to motivate them in the first season but less so in the second. I left the club because if I can’t motivate Roma players, as a Roma fan, I’m off. I don’t know if it will be easy or difficult, but I’ll need the help of the supporters and my players. I demand a lot from myself as a coach and I’ll do the same of them. I want the very best from them.”

You didn’t set any conditions for coming to Roma, but often coaches leave the club with ‘broken bones’. Why is this such a risky place to come? Is more work needed on the technical or mental side of things?

“At Roma you’ve got emotions that aren’t quite the same in other places. People here live football 25 hours per day and talk about it 25 hours per day, on the radio, TV and in the newspapers. This is a team that make the headlines and they are one of the best sides in Italy, always fighting for a place in the top four. There’s a new owner here, who is trying his best, investing a lot of money. Clearly at the end of the season we need to balance the books.

“The mental side of things is the priority – it’s the only thing I’ve spoken about so far. It’s the key at the moment – the desire to achieve a certain objective. I want ambitious players – getting into the Champions League won’t be easy but I’ll never give up. If you’ve got a negative mindset, you give up at the first difficulty you come across. If you’re headstrong, you try to see where you went wrong and maybe you get over that problem. I don’t give in and I want players who are the same.”

Dzeko is scoring fewer goals than in the past two seasons. Why is that?

“It’s natural for goal-scorers to have bad years. Even the greatest players have dips in form. Maybe he’s in one of those dips, but we’ve got 12 games left. Let’s see how many he can score.”

Will it be Robin Olsen or Antonio Mirante in goal?

“Let me see them in training. You’ll see the line-up tomorrow.”

Having asked for the fans to get behind the team, do you think open training sessions could help?

“I’m not sure – don’t ask me questions I can’t answer at the moment. Right now, we need to compose ourselves and then rediscover that determination and anger.”