Mats Hummels reflects on his Roma spell, Ranieri’s impact and difficult relationship with Juric | OneFootball

Roma defender Mats Hummels spoke to Il Messaggero in view of the upcoming Derby della Capitale with Lazio.

The German veteran discussed various topics including his difficult relationship with former Roma boss Ivan Juric as well as his future in the capital.

“How am I feeling? If I hadn’t been sick a couple of times, we’d be talking about one hundred percent fit. Instead, a couple of flus have weakened me a bit. However, I’m getting back into match rhythm, I train regularly and I’m getting back into shape, overall I’m happy.”

“Ranieri’s arrival? He came, took me aside on the first day and started talking, saying that he knew me, that he had always followed me in the last ten years, that he liked the way I played and that he had seen both the semi-final and the final of the last Champions League. He had no doubts that I would have an important role with him. He immediately told me that he would let me play and that I had his trust.”

“Juric? He had his ideas about football, about how to play, his opinions. Obviously I wasn’t in good enough shape to be functional to his game, but I didn’t have any problems with him.”

“He didn’t give me the chance to just play. I also think he’s a good person. An anomalous situation, in 18 years of career I had always shown my value, even in big games.”

“I don’t know why he didn’t play me at all. If I see him again one day I will ask him because, I repeat, he was always kind and nice to me. The problem is that when he was training I was never there. I can’t say more about this, I really don’t know.”

“My disastrous cameo appearance against Fiorentina? I told myself not to do anything stupid, to play it simple. I didn’t even have time to think about it and I scored an own goal. At that point I almost started laughing, it was a moment when everything was going badly. In my life I have always tried to deal with negative situations with humor, philosophy and work, thinking that sooner or later things will fix themselves.”

“If you are not Duplantis who always wins, when you play sports at these levels you are aware that negative periods can happen. I tried to accept the situation. With Ranieri I was sure from day one that better times would come. The players are strong, the team has quality.”

“The unique nature of the derby? In Germany there are many games that we feel strongly about, Dortmund-Schalke for example is one of these, even if the teams are not from the same city. However, it is something very similar because the two centers are just a few minutes apart. There is great participation, commitment on the field, great competitive spirit.”

“I began to understand something about the Rome derby the other day in training at Tre Fontane. We know that it counts for the fans, they are special victories that are worth double.”

“Ranieri? We are talking about a great coach, a top class manager, I understood it from the first moment I saw him. He has a natural authority, he understands players, he doesn’t have to raise his voice to be understood and listened to.”

“He is kind, he would be a great coach for any team, especially in Rome. In the meantime I have to understand what I will do, but he is definitely a great player, to be held close.”

“I haven’t yet decided what to do after this season. I’ll decide in the summer. But if I were to stay, I would be very happy to be coached by Ranieri again.”

“Pellegrini? I talk to him often. I think he’s a great captain, he was close to me when I wasn’t playing, he always took care of me. He’s a great player, a great person. He was unlucky on some occasions, he lacked that bit of luck that sometimes is needed to turn the cards around. Things will definitely improve, he deserves it.”

“De Rossi? I chose to come here because of him. He’d made a great impression on me. His dismissal was a shock not only from a footballing point of view but also on a personal level. Also because not even one match after my arrival and he was already gone. I have a son who lives in Munich, we had talked about solutions to facilitate this relationship with Daniele, the dismissal has upset all the plans.”

“Now we must focus on every competition. We have a great team, a deep one and the bench has quality. We have everything to get back into the top 5-6 positions.”

“The derby? I have seen several Lazio games and we know they are strong. Who worries me in particular? I couldn’t put the emphasis on the individual because it is a team that relies on the collective, they have many players who score goals and to be honest they deserve the advantage they have. However, on Sunday we want to win to start reducing the gap. I am convinced that if we succeed we can still finish above them.”

“Dybala? I have loved Paulo for many years, watching him play was always beautiful, he sees things differently than others, like that pass to Pellegrini in Milan at the end of the game. He is very intelligent, a magical left foot, and he is a very good guy. Being able to play with him is one of the reasons why I came here.”