Ranieri: Roma first away win ‘will come’, Pellegrini a ‘model student’ | OneFootball

Claudio Ranieri expects Roma to ‘put in a strong performance’ and ‘give their all’ against Bologna, as they hope to build on their Derby della Capitale victory and get their first away win in Serie A

The Giallorossi coach warned his players that they would be ‘fools’ if they lost focus after a much-celebrated win against their city rivals, but he’s confident that his side is ‘close’ to showing the ‘extra mental edge and motivation’ that he always wants to see on the pitch, both at home and on the road.

epa11807729 AS Roma’s head coach Claudio Ranieri looks on during the Italian Serie A soccer match between AS Roma and SS Lazio, in Rome, Italy, 05 January 2025. EPA-EFE/ETTORE FERRARI

Lorenzo Pellegrini scored his side’s opening goal in last week’s meeting with the Biancocelesti and was one of the best men on the pitch, proving his doubters wrong after receiving much criticism, and Ranieri urged everyone to ‘enjoy’ this version of the midfielder, who was also recently linked with a move away from the Stadio Olimpico.

Ranieri: Roma players don’t have to be ‘fools’, we’re ‘close’ to first away win

“I’m confident we’ll put in a strong performance,” the 73-year-old claimed at a pre-match press conference, as quoted by TMW.

“For me, when the team steps onto the field, they must give their all. We know how Bologna play because we know Italiano; we’ve seen his style at Fiorentina and Spezia. We’re familiar with him. Now, it’s about executing on the pitch.

“If there were a drop in performance, we would be fools. Yes, we won, but Lazio are a top team. They know what they’re doing and play at full throttle. I’m happy we won, though.”

On the Giallorossi’s inability to win games away from the Stadio Olimpico: “I don’t think mentality is the issue. What’s missing is that extra mental edge and motivation to push harder. We’re close,” Ranieri said.

“You’ve seen our matches—they’re full of grit. We could’ve lost against Tottenham and Milan. These are the opportunities teams create for themselves. We’re getting there.

“We’re just days away from winning our first game away. I believe in the law of averages. It will come. On Sunday, it’ll be a battle, and we need to be smart about exploiting the spaces that open up.”

ROME, ITALY – DECEMBER 12: Lorenzo Pellegrini celebrates scoring his team’s first goal with Claudio Ranieri, Head Coach of AS Roma, during the UEFA Europa League 2024/25 League Phase MD6 match between AS Roma and SC Braga at Stadio Olimpico on December 12, 2024 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images)

The former Leicester manager said he still has to decide whether Pellegrini will start again at Bologna, while he insisted that Matias Soulé has to be more ‘impactful’ when the ball is in his feet.

“Let’s enjoy this version of Lorenzo,” the coach said.

“He trains like a model student—focused and confident. I’ll make my decisions Saturday night.

“I like him [Soulé] a lot, and he hasn’t made any demands. He knows he has a bright future here.

“I appreciate practical players. I can’t have him touching the ball 10 times and doing little with it 3-4 times.

“When he gets the ball, I want to feel like something impactful is about to happen. He’ll get there, step by step. He has everything he needs to succeed.”

On Matts Hummels and Nicola Zalewski: “Hummels? It depends if he wants to stay. He’s free to choose, and if he’s comfortable, he can remain,” he said.

“As for Zalewski, he trains well every day. Let’s wait and see.”