Claudio Ranieri returns to the 'no' to the national team and puts a point

At the press conference to introduce Gian Piero Gasperini as Roma’s new coach, Claudio Ranieri, who after stepping aside at the end of the season just ended, decided to accept the role of senior adviser to the Giallorossi’s ownership, represented by the Friedkin family, also attended on Tuesday morning.

The former Giallorossi coach was also present.

The now former Giallorossi coach returned, inevitably, to what happened in the aftermath of Norway-Italy, when he was asked to take the reins of the national team except deciding, after a day of reflection, to focus exclusively on Roma. “You have to keep a little bit’ what has been said in these days – said Ranieri -, my respect for the national team is maximum but I am Roma”.

Ranieri, therefore, remains close to the club that had convinced him last fall to accept a’last coaching proposal after his farewell to Cagliari. “My role will be to give Gasperini a hand, but I will be like a trusted friend: if my help is needed, I will try to respond. I told him on the first day that I disliked him in the past, but Roma needed a strong character like him to restart”.

“We are operating a change of mentality: the whole environment must understand this, starting with the players– added Ranieri. “It will not be easy, Gasperini will have a year to make himself understood, we will not do as Percassi did who asked him for salvation but we ask him to do well. Maybe playing Champions would have been too much, but for the Europa League we are fierce and in the league we can do very well”.