Mancini details race for Top 4 and Ranieri’s impact | OneFootball

Roma defender Gianluca Mancini spoke to Cronache di Spogliatoio about the team’s Top 4 aspirations and Claudio Ranieri’s impact.

“From that Derby in January until today, few people believed we could be near Top 4. Few people had thought about it. We, in the locker room, knew what we were doing, but when mister Ranieri arrived, to be honest, we too had a hard time believing it.”

“However, thanks to the work ethic and the calm that the coach brought to the team, game after game we realized that we could recover ground and climb the table.”

“Now we are there, but as I said, really difficult games await us. This is the last of a cycle of eight important games, and we must think about winning to stay up there.”

“European cups, having reached a semi-final in the last five years, have always been a goal that we cared about a lot. It’s a shame that this year things didn’t go as we hoped.”

“The league, on the other hand, made us suffer too much. It was hard to see ourselves in those positions, in those months in which the results didn’t arrive. However, as I have said many times, the commitment during training, the strength of the group and the desire to be together were never lacking, not even in the most difficult moments.”

“I can’t say that we were completely calm, but we were convinced that things would work out. We couldn’t think of neglecting the league to focus only on the cup, because in the locker room we always think game by game.”

“Early on in the season the standings weighed on us, seeing Roma in those positions hurt us, and we wanted to climb back up. In Europe we gave our all, but unfortunately, in the last match, a decision – not a referee’s, but still decisive – changed the outcome of the match, and we had to give up.”

“The commitment, both in the Serie A and in Europe, has always been high to get as far as possible. In Europe we didn’t succeed, while in the league, up to this point, we managed to climb back up. But we haven’t done anything yet.”

“Ranieri? Since he arrived, the coach has opened the door to our locker room. I, but I think my teammates too, have felt the tension subside, because we were really experiencing the lack of results badly. The coach explained his working method to us, how he saw things both on the pitch and in his attitude.”

“One thing that particularly struck me was a phrase he said as soon as he arrived. It was November, we were coming off a series of bad results and I don’t remember exactly our position in the standings, but everyone knew that the situation was complicated. Yet he, right from the start, said that the good horses are seen at the end. That phrase made me think.”

‘He arrived at a dramatic moment, without knowing us directly, but evidently he had seen a few games and had sensed the team’s potential. Saying something like that in that context gave us a great boost: he made us understand that he believed in us, even without knowing us thoroughly.”

“From that moment we decided to follow him, to work according to his instructions and to rely on his experience. So we’ve come this far, but, as I said before, we haven’t done anything yet. There’s still a long way to go, and now we’re focused on the rest of the league.”

“Ranieri’s future? This is a particular topic. He has always been clear with us and has also been clear in recent weeks with you journalists. It is clear that a figure like his is important not only for us players, but for the entire Roma environment: from those who work at Trigoria, to those who come to the stadium, to the players themselves.”

“His presence is fundamental, but, as he himself said, he will continue to be so in another role. He will be able to guide us, observe us and give us advice. This is why the club has made an important decision, which will also have an impact on the future of Roma, with Ranieri in a different role within the club.”

“My relationship with the fans? I felt the love of the fans right from the start, from the first year. I don’t know if you remember, but I played some games in midfield in a total emergency situation, with many midfielders absent. The Roma fan, in these moments, transmits the desire to help the team, even beyond your own limits. It was then that I understood this mutual love, because I too am crazy about these fans, this stadium, these fans and this city.”

“It is a special bond, made up of many emotions that have intertwined over time. On the pitch, sometimes, I transform because the adrenaline takes over.”

“However, especially in the last period, with mister De Rossi and mister Ranieri we have worked a lot on this aspect. Now I am calmer in my reactions and more focused during the match, but without losing my main characteristic: competitiveness and fighting spirit, always with the utmost respect for the opponent.”

“It is that mentality of “my life, your death” on the pitch, speaking in sports terms. The fans appreciate this spirit and are proud of it, but they are not the only favorite of the team. There are many, because the Roman environment is particularly heated and knows how to support its players. From the stadium to the streets of the center, wherever you go in Rome you feel this affection from the first moment.”

“Dovbyk? Artem is a golden lad, exceptional. We all know what his family is unfortunately going through, and I think this affects him a bit. However, when we are on the pitch, during the 90 minutes you have to be good at leaving everything else aside, even if it is not always easy. Sometimes I make fun of him or encourage him, because he is huge, practically a wardrobe.”

“When I train against him and we clash in tackles, I almost get scared, because if he comes at you with force he sends you four meters away. Yesterday, up until the first half, I particularly urged him on and told him: “Artem, either you score or you get a yellow, I want to see you shoulder a defender and send him flying off the boards”. And in fact, the goal was almost born from a shoulder collision with Federico Baschirotto. They are two physically imposing guys, but that competitive nastiness, in a sporting sense, was decisive in scoring. When he celebrated, I told him: “You’re strong, you always have to break through”, obviously in a positive and football sense.”

“The calendar is difficult, like it was before. This year’s matches have shown that winning is never a given, on any pitch. Wherever you go, you find difficulties. It’s not that if you win in Lecce, then you automatically win in Empoli or Parma. You can’t say that facing these teams is easier than the big teams, at least on paper.”

“The matches are always complicated, but now we will face teams that are close to us in the standings and that are fighting for the same objectives. There’s no point beating around the bush: from how we started to where we are now, we are all there, separated by a few points. You have to think match by match. These are the best matches, the ones you face with great energy, drive and desire to give your all.”

“You have to prepare as best you can, focusing first on Juventus, then on Lazio, then on Verona and Inter. Every Sunday you take to the pitch knowing that every point can make the difference. It’s essential to face every match with this mentality, because in the end it will be every single point that will determine our path.”