While the Derby della Capitale rarely needs embellishment, every now and then, the capital contest carries extra significance for Roma fans. Whether it was the ill-fated 2013 Coppa Italia final or merely a pivotal late-season match with implications on the league table, sometimes the fates conspire to make an already contentious fixture nearly combustible.
This weekend’s match against Lazio is no exception. Not only is Roma in the midst of a six-team scramble for Italy’s final Champions League spot, but Sunday’s fixture also marks Claudio Ranieri’s final derby in Giallo e Rosso. From being a fan in the stands to a player on the pitch and now a dapperly dressed manager on the touchline, Ranieri has experienced this rivalry from every conceivable angle.
Ranieri touched on that bittersweet subject and much more in his pre-match presser ahead of Sunday’s six-pointer against Lazio. Here are a few of the best bits to tide you over before kickoff!
On Lazio’s form after their frigid trip to Norway and the fixture’s implications on the table:
What sort of Lazio team are you expecting after their trip to Norway?
“I’m expecting the Lazio team we’re all familiar with: strong, energetic, with talented individuals and good team play. I saw the game. When you go to play in those parts of the world with the cold it can be hard. But I think Lazio can turn it around in the second leg at the Olimpico.”
How important is this derby for the league table and for you personally? You have the chance to make it six wins from six derbies.
“From the moment I arrived I’ve always said I’ll pick a team to try to win and I’ll do the same on Sunday. It doesn’t mean we’ll win; it means we’ll fight to win. Just as we did against Juventus. They did well in the opening minutes when they got in our faces and pushed us back. We did a good job of making them play the way we wanted. Then we came into the game more and almost took the lead, which they then did, and we managed to find an equaliser. That means we have a strong team that believe in their ability and their aspirations, which is to do the best we possibly can. As I’ve always said, I can’t promise anything. I like getting on with the job and saying things quietly, with the aim of achieving everything we can. On Sunday we’ll do everything we can, then we have to see what Lazio can do as well.”
On the gap between Roma, Lazio and the rest of the league’s CL contenders:
The gap between Roma and Lazio is different now to what it was last time round. Do you deserve some credit for that or is this the real difference between the two teams?
“It’s hard to say what the real level of the teams is. Roma have been through some ups and downs, for whatever reasons. Lazio weren’t really rated by anyone. People thought [Marco] Baroni was a fallback option but they’re having an excellent season, playing good football, scoring lots of goals and they deserve their league position. We’ve spent the whole time playing catch-up. Now we have the last seven games. We’ll keep pushing as hard as we can and pull out all the stops in this final phase then see where we end up.”
How big a gap is there between Roma and the teams looking to get into the Champions League? And what will it take to close that gap?
“I said when I arrived that Rome wasn’t built in a day, which is a wonderful English idiom. They mean the Roman Empire took centuries to build. It won’t take a century to get Roma back in the Champions League. We’re doing everything we can to get close and see how far we can go. Then it will be up to the owners and the new coach to keep building so that we can realise the chairman’s dream.”
On Bryan Cristante, Lorenzo Pellegrini, Leandro Paredes and player selections:
What’s Bryan Cristante’s best quality? Are you counting on him for the future? And can we rule out Patrick Vieira as a possible future coach?
“I said I wasn’t going to talk about this topic anymore so I’ll just answer about Cristante. He’s a very good player, an all-round midfielder, a ball-winner who can get forward and score goals. He’s always a possible starter, then it depends on the type of game I want to play – that’s another matter.”
Have you noticed a different attitude from Lorenzo Pellegrini, as you did before the reverse fixture?
“I’ll tell you that afterwards because if I tell you now you’ll assume he’s starting. You’ve already put him in the starting line-up so I’ll just keep quiet and then make my choices.”
What role can Leandro Paredes have in Roma’s present and future?
“As for Paredes, I think he’s a fantastic playmaker. He knows where to put the ball. He knows when to hold onto the ball, when to play it forward, when to up the tempo. I consider him an important player. It will depend on the next coach and how he wants to play. I don’t think there are many better players than him around. He’s a World Cup winner and still plays for Argentina.”
Could Lucas Gourna-Douath be a good option for the future?
“He came in and immediately did well – I was happy with his performance against Venezia. Then, like with all things, he had a bit of a dip because you change playing style, country, way of thinking, playing and training, everything. I worked with him a lot to help him improve certain areas of his game which I won’t name here and recently he’s been looking like the player he was at the start again. He’s getting to grips with the work we’re doing, he’s getting to grips with the tactical side and if I put him on against Juventus it’s because I thought he could perform well, which he did. We’ll see about him joining permanently. He’s a young lad with a good future.”
And finally, the expected but still sad news…
Will this be your last derby only as Roma coach?
“Yes, I’ve already said I’m retiring and I’m retiring. It’s my last derby as coach. The nicety wasn’t lost on me…”
