Ranieri's pre-Atalanta media conference

Here’s what the Roma coach had to say...

Can you tell us anything the chairman said about his intentions regarding the future of the club after you met?

“It was a very good meeting. The chairman complimented the team and everyone involved. He said what he wants to do when he came: he wants to do a good job. He knows that over the past few years some mistakes have been made and he wants to do a good job. This is what I can say. I’d like to discuss our match against Atalanta and our chances. Am I to tell you what we said to each other?"

Are there different plans if Roma qualify for the Champions League?

"No, the plans are the same, whether Roma qualify for the Champions League or the final result is something else. We want to improve year after year. This has been a very unusual year: it started off very badly and then got worse. Then there was a strong reaction from the players, our fans offered a lot of support, the stadium was always full, and we must continue in this direction. Now something very big is at stake, which initially we didn’t think would be possible. It’ll be hard, of course, but what I always tell the team is to leave the pitch with their heads held high after giving it their all. We’re going to play against a very good team. Loyal, determined players. A wonderful team. At a conference last year with [Arrigo] Sacchi and [Fabio] Capello, I said that Atalanta last year had been the pride of Italian football. And I stand by those words. We know we’re up against a beautiful, tough team.”

So it’s Gasperini… I’m kidding, coach. It was just a joke.

“You’re free to say whatever you want.”

The risk is that people might be disappointed if Roma don’t qualify for the Champions League. What would be an acceptable result  for you in any case?

“To me the great achievement has been that we’ve restored enthusiasm and hope among Roma fans. This alone is a great achievement. They’ve seen that we will give our all until the end. I always tell the team that this summer, once the season is over, we mustn’t have any regrets. We mustn’t dwell on the past - as I always say, what’s past is past. Now we’re here, we’re in this and we want to give it our best shot. We know we’ve got three uphill battles ahead of us. Let’s tackle them one at a time. What’s for certain is that we’ll do our best to keep our heads held high at the end of each match. I can swear that to our fans. Whatever happens, they mustn’t be upset, but they need to know that we will give it our all.”

Have you had a chance over the past few hours to know more precisely what you will be doing in your new post?

“Yes, I’ve talked about this. Of course the president is happy with what I’ve done. And he repeated what he’d said in the beginning: within the club’s philosophy, I will have a say. And it means a lot to me that he has reasserted this.”

Can we say that a coach has been chosen? And the work to prepare for the future has begun?

“I can say that ever since the first day I started here as coach, we’ve been working to take the team back to the top of the table. This is what I can say. This is my answer. You will of course interpret it however you wish to. I’ve said that there will be two tough transfer windows. I’ve seen that some coaches have reportedly ruled themselves out because Roma aren’t qualifying for the Champions League. I don’t think anyone has ruled themselves out. That’s all I can say.”

You’ve certainly talked about the new coach with the owners. Will the new coach be announced before you finish?

“The official announcement will come when the President says, ’This is next year’s coach.’ We always talk about everything, not just because he came yesterday. We talk nearly every week.”

Did he tell you when it’s going to happen?

“No, because I didn’t ask. I don’t ask questions that are important to you but not to me.”

Would you like to comment on the new Pope? Apparently he’s a Roma supporter.

“We have to see if it’s true – there are lots of rumours. I’ve also heard we’re supposed to look alike. I don’t use social media but I have friends who have shown me…”

What do you think is the best example to take from Atalanta?

“I've always said the thing I like most about Atalanta is what president [Antonio] Percassi used to say in the first four years – he said the target was staying in Serie A, up until [Gian Piero] Gasperini's fourth year. Every year he said the goal was to stay up. That was Atalanta's strength – they made the fans understand they were working for the future, even though they were already achieving great results. What I say is give us some credit, and slowly but surely we'll build a very good Roma team. When I joined I asked the president, 'Why don't you lay out these plans publicly.' And he will. But the plans are that he wants to get Roma playing regular Champions League football. Sometimes you win, sometimes you don't. He's made mistakes? He's making amends. Hopefully whoever he's chosen will be up to the task. [Florent] Ghisolfi and I shoulder the blame for everything. We're not afraid. We have strong shoulders. We know it's a tough task and for a Romanista like me being involved is wonderful. Having this chance to help. And I'll say the same thing next season: Rome wasn't built in a day. That's an English saying, referring to Rome, the Roman Empire, the Eternal City. That's our goal – to get Roma up there regularly. Mistakes are made sometimes. Only people who don't work don't make mistakes.”

Will you be the face of Roma?

“I'm not going to be the face of Roma. I'll be the one who will have to take responsibility. I know I've become something of a guarantor. But I'm not a face because I prefer to shy away. I don't even like doing press conferences. Not because I don't like talking to you but because my vanity box is very small and it was full a long time ago. I do it because it's my duty to come here and say the things I feel are right to tell you.”

Lorenzo Pellegrini will be out injured for a long time. Do you get the impression that when he returns he will no longer be a Roma player?

“That's a long way off. I'm really sorry I can't call on him anymore. A player of his class and motivation, whether he starts or not, is someone I'm going to miss. He was a very important string to my bow. I really hope he can make a speedy recovery. That's what I have to say to you and to him.”

Is the club structure the main area being worked on?

"What we're doing, in every area, is working to be at the top in all situations. I'll deal with my area. I can't poke my nose into areas that aren't my expertise or my job.”

If Pellegrini were to leave Roma, would you see it as a personal defeat?

“When I'm not able to get someone performing at their best, I do see it as a personal defeat. So that will be the case with him, this season. It really does feel like a personal defeat. Any player who's not able to express his full potential – and I know what it is because I coached him a few years ago. That's what he tried to give me every time. Of course I see it as a personal defeat.”