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Claudio Ranieri has hit out at the way Roma were managed in the summer, as the Giallorossi's hopes of sneaking into the top four took a fatal blow with a 0-0 draw at Sassuolo.
While players and management have divided opinion all year in one of the worst seasons in recent memory, Ranieri has been one figure who has been able to unite people, thanks to his humble approach and honest outlook. With the 67-year-old recently confirming he would not be staying as manager on a permanent basis, he took the opportunity after the game to highlight what has gone wrong for the club. “Roma had a fantastic season in 2017-18, but they sold important players, pulling apart the spine of the team that was starting to open up a new era,” Ranieri told Sky Sport Italia. “Out of nowhere, they were sold and some good players arrived, but they needed time to develop. There was blowback because of that, maybe the more experienced players were lacking reference points and didn’t help the new lads to 100 per cent settle in to Roma. “When I arrived, I found the team was really struggling on a psychological level, not physically, as Eusebio [Di Francesco] did a great job here. We beat Juventus last week, but also risked conceding three goals in that game. “My work here was above all psychological, trying to give some self-confidence back to these players who were feeling rock bottom.” The former Leicester City boss then admitted he didn't have the answers for how the club can get back on track next year. “The club has to answer that,” he explained. “There is a good group of players here, it’ll be up to the new coach to evaluate them based on his ideas to see who will be of use and who won’t. “I don’t think they’ll be able to challenge for a Champions League place straight away, but Roma must learn to become a stable figure in Europe and then, if the right season comes along when everything goes your way, you can get back into the Champions League.” Ranieri also criticised the way that the decision not to extend Daniele De Rossi's contract has been handled - echoing the words of Aleksandar Kolarov last week, who said Roma will lose something when the captain is gone. “I don’t want to keep going on over this,” Ranieri continued. “I understand the club wants to do things a certain way, but there are players who must be considered differently to the others and De Rossi should’ve been dealt with in another way. “I would love for there to be a wonderful celebration for Daniele on Sunday at the Olimpico. This is a lad who started at the Roma academy at the age of 11, so he deserves to feel all the love that these fans are capable of. We must be close to Daniele at this moment. “I know full well that Romans feel the pressure more when playing for Roma. I remember when I had to substitute De Rossi and Francesco Totti in a derby because they felt it too much. “Romanisti are visceral, they love Roma beyond all limits. If you play for Roma as a Romanista, you will inevitably give something extra.”
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