Ranieri: ‘I don’t know’ if Fabregas is ready for Roma, Como will reach the top | OneFootball

Claudio Ranieri admits Daniele De Rossi must ‘follow his path’ before returning to Roma one day, while Cesc Fabregas may not be ready for the Giallorossi, although Como will ‘reach the top’ in three or four years.

Roma and Como meet at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday and Ranieri previewed the game at a pre-match press conference on Friday.

To be fair, however, most questions for the Italian tactician were focused on Roma’s next coach.

There are reports that Ranieri has already sounded out Gian Piero Gasperini, but Fabregas is also one of the coaches linked with the Giallorossi job.

Ranieri has signed a contract until the end of the season but will be involved in deciding the head coach for 2025-26.

“They brought me in for this role, so I can give advice, but ultimately, it will be the President and the ownership who make the final decisions,” Ranieri said via Vocegiallorossa.

Ranieri unsure Fabregas is ready for Roma but Como ‘will reach the top’

COMO, ITALY – FEBRUARY 07: Como 1907 coach Cesc Fabregas looks on before the Serie A match between Como 1907 and Juventus at Stadio G. Sinigaglia on February 07, 2025 in Como, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

“My job is to provide a broad range of options for those who could lead Roma. That’s what I will do. The players know it. They know we are all under scrutiny, so they have to do their best. I believe they struggled a lot at the beginning of the season, especially in the central phase, and now they are reaping what they are capable of. It doesn’t bother me, and I don’t think it bothers the team, either. You can have fun with it; you can throw out a new name every week. This one is coming, that one is coming, so we’re all happy.”

How about Fabregas?

“I don’t know if he would be ready, but I can tell you that this lad and Como will reach the top in three or four years,” Ranieri said.

“I think Como are like Parma in the ’90s. They are a team destined to rise. I read that Guardiola said facing Atalanta is like going to the dentist. Facing Como now is like going to the dentist without anaesthesia. They are good, and we’ll have to be extremely careful.”

Talking to Sky Sport Italia, Ranieri argued that Fabregas would become a “top coach” in the coming years.

Fabregas’ Como won the last two matches, including the latest one against former leaders Napoli.

Ranieri insisted that he hadn’t contacted any coach to offer the Roma job.

“I swear I have only analysed the teams we are facing. Let’s talk about current football. On Sunday, we have a tough match ahead. Look at that Nico Paz, what a phenomenon he is. Look at Diao. They are a team that plays really well. Como is a team.”

Nevertheless, there were other questions about Roma’s next coach, and Ranieri hinted that it would not be De Rossi.

“He is a great coach. He needs to follow his path, and then he will return to Roma stronger than before.”

There were questions about the game as well, specifically on whether Artem Dovbyk would be fit to start.

“The boy is recovering, and he should be at my disposal from tomorrow,” said Ranieri.

“In football, we are all under scrutiny, not just Dovbyk. Everyone from No.1 to No.26 in the squad.”

The last question was whether Roma would sign Alexis Saelemaekers on a permanent deal from Milan.

“That’s not up to me,” concluded Ranieri.

“I can give my technical evaluations, but economic decisions are not my concern.”