Ranieri's comments during Gasperini unveiling

Here's what Ranieri had to say...

“I think this is the first time you've seen two coaches side by side. But I'm the coach until 30 June, so don't get confused... [grinning] You called me a liar when I was asked if Gasperini was the new coach but it wasn't Gasperini. I'd contacted him and asked if he would be willing and he said, 'Why not?' but that was still a long way away from him being the coach.

“The Friedkins chose Gasperini because he's a coach who's been very successful. He's done well everywhere: Crotone, Genoa, Atalanta. We all know what he's about. He's a coach who's capable of changing players, turning players into great players, and that's what we hope he can do here. He knows we're going to have some difficulties in the next two transfer windows and that's why I said that whoever joins must be given time and that's why I stepped aside. Why would I stay and lose a transition year?

“Gian Piero has been brought in to build something that we all hope will thrive. He's a strong character. He's upfront and says what he means without beating around the bush. Sometimes that can mean being blunt, but we all have our own character. I've rarely been blunt with you, because that's the way I am. I was able to keep things to myself, even though I might have been upset on the inside. But I understand the job you [journalists] have to do. I understand it's difficult to find news every day. You do a very good job because you get ahead. I'm sure you'll tell us who the new sporting director is going to be so that we can move on.

“Anyway, I'm here today to introduce Gian Piero to you. You're all familiar with him and with what he's achieved. So, Gian Piero is here with us. Thanks for coming.”

Is the appointment of a new sporting director imminent?

“The club is weighing up a number of options and you'll soon find out who the new sporting director will be.”

What sort of relationship do you have with Gasperini?

“My relationship? I didn't like him either! [laughing]. That was the first thing I said to him: you're not likeable. Roma fans don't like you. And I said it was even more for me. And joking, once when we played Atalanta and I found some other people in the Atalanta dugout, I went over to them and said, 'At last, a decent dugout!' Anyway, he's been chosen and I mentioned him along with the many other names I gave because I believe Roma need a strong character, a coach who's never happy, who's always on the ball, who's always angry, who's never contented, who wants to improve, who wants to improve the team and improve individual players. I think that's what Roma need to become great.

“It won't be easy and that's why we're giving him a year to get his ideas across. The fans must get behind him. Just as they got behind me, they must get behind him and above all they have to get behind the players. He's honest and loyal and he talks face to face. My relationship with him will be that of a friend by his side. If he needs something, I'll try to help him with it. That's my task for now.”

Can you tell us how the negotiations went, from your 'white lie' to the contract signing?

“We've already spoken about the white lie. I called him to ask if he might be interested in coaching Roma and he said we could discuss it. At the end of the season we spoke again and continued our conversations. Then we were surprised in Florence. The rest is history.

“It was very pragmatic, very quick. We hit it off immediately. He came across as someone with an incredible desire to succeed, incredibly motivated, incredibly enthusiastic. So I'm very happy.

“Of course there's work to do. The players have to understand who the new coach is and that there's a different mentality. I came in at a difficult time and I was more like an older brother than a father figure. I motivated them in lots of ways. If I had needed to have words with someone, I did it in a constructive way, because that's the way I am. I never pointed the finger at anyone. I always tried to get the best out of them. With some players I succeeded – over the course of my career, I mean – and with others less, but that goes for every coach. I'm talking about finding the key to get inside the players' heads, because the players analyse you whenever you speak and they want someone who is honest, loyal and says what he thinks. And I think Gian Piero is that person.”

 How far do you think Roma can go?

“At the end of the three years, what the owners want is to be playing regularly in the Champions League, and if and when possible to win the title. But these are the foundations and should all be proud to be part of this new birth.

“The Friedkins – as we've seen and as you've seen better than me – have spent a lot and they want to spend more. They're held back by Financial Fair Play but they're working on the stadium and you know how much that will cost.

“The owners want the maximum. They want to help Roma become not just a tourist brand; they want to reach the same level as a football brand. That's what made me fall in love and what I think made Gian Piero fall in love too.”

What have you asked of Gasperini in the short term? Maybe a specific result or to create value to help sort out the books, as he's done so well at Atalanta in recent years?

“We've asked him to be Gasperini here at Roma too. I found it surprising that [Antonio] Percassi, even after four seasons, used to say: 'Our initial goal is staying up.' Of course Roma is not what Atalanta was back then and we have to do well. Our fans have seen world-class players and great teams. 

“I'm convinced that the fans will be able to identify with Gian Piero's football. It will take a while to oil all the cogs, but that's what we've asked of him: do well, get to know the team and the city in the first year, then keep going higher. 

“People have said to me, 'It's a shame about [not getting into] the Champions League.' I'm honest: like all coaches, I want the maximum possible, and I wasn't like the fox who couldn't reach the grapes and said they were sour, but inside of me I thought that if we'd got into the Champions League, we'd have been up against six English teams, five Spanish teams and I think four German teams, and maybe we're not quite ready for that. However, we can challenge in the Europa League.

“I hope we can have a good run in Serie A and a good run in the Europa League. All as one, accepting the good things and knowing that sometimes there will be some bitter defeats because we're in a construction phase, but even when you build well, there are games that you'll lose.”

“I told Gian Piero that Roma fans want to see a team that fights till the very end, spitting blood. I am sure that even when we lose – because in sport there is victory and defeat – the Roma fans will have seen their players battle like they've never seen before, both at the Olimpico and away from home.”
 

Can you give us your version of what really happened with the Italy job?

“Lots has been said. You can keep that. I don't have anything more to add. I respect Italy but I'm a Roma man.” 

How big a part did you have to play in Mile Svilar and Roma seemingly taking a step towards each other regarding his contract renewal?

“[Florent] Ghisolfi was responsible for that. I did very little. All I did was call the boy and tell him we want to be successful, that we want to build a great Roma team and that there was every reason to believe we would succeed, because he's an ambitious player, we've brought in an ambitious coach and we will look to sign ambitious players who want to grow with us and try to achieve great things. That's all I did.”

Can you explain the Financial Fair Play restrictions? How will they impact the summer transfer window and what will change in 2026?

“As you know, we have these parameters that we need to keep within by 30 June. We're close but we're not quite there yet and I'm sure we'll manage to keep within them. We'll also have to respect those parameters in June 2026, then after that we can do business freely. The club is doing everything it can. The owners can't just inject money, otherwise they would have already done so. In any case I'm confident. We'll have to grit our teeth for the next two transfer windows while trying to find good players.

“Don't forget there are clubs who can go out and spend €60 million on an 18- or 20-year-old. It's not easy. They can buy four, five, six players like that and you have to do battle with these giants. I'm talking about Premier League clubs who have much higher revenues than we do. We need to come up with good ideas and be ready to act. But I'm not only talking about Roma, but Italian football as a whole.”

What do you think would be the ideal club structure? Will there be a trio consisting of Gasperini as coach, yourself as advisor and a sporting director? Or do you think there should be some other figure within the set-up?

“I don't know if the owners want to bring in another figure. I think on a football level the solid foundations that have been laid will be maintained with another sporting director. Whether or not they want to bring in any other figures is not for me to know or decide.”