Mancini and Saelemaekers hail Ranieri and Pellegrini effect on Roma | OneFootball

Gianluca Mancini and Alexis Saelemaekers were fired up after Roma beat Lazio 2-0 in the local derby, thanking Lorenzo Pellegrini and coach Claudio Ranieri. ‘They deserve this.’

The Giallorossi went into this weekend a massive 15 points clear of their rivals in the Serie A table, but the bragging rights for the Derby della Capitale reside with them.

Pellegrini was not expected to start, but his curler into the top corner must’ve gone some way to recovering the fractured relationship with a section of the Roma ultras.

Saelemaekers then added the second for a 2-0 lead within 18 minutes that remained until the final whistle at the Stadio Olimpico.

“It was too wonderful, celebrating the derby, the fans are our heart and to see them happy is the most wonderful thing,” Mancini told DAZN.

“I have to keep this jacket on, I am naked under here, I gave away my shirt, shorts, everything! The Derby is separate to the rest of the season, it’s still only three points and we didn’t win the League or anything, but we are very happy.”

Mats Hummels said that if Roma won the derby, they could go on and finish ahead of Lazio in the Serie A table. Does Mancini agree?

“We really didn’t do enough in the first half of the season, 23 points is really not enough. Now this victory in the Derby must give us the push we need for the second half of the campaign.”

Pellegrini has now scored three goals in the Rome Derby and celebrated this time by showing the club badge to the crowd, confirming his desire to remain with the team he has always supported.

“I see Lorenzo every day, we have a strong friendship, I saw everything he was suffering. On the field, I embraced him, told him to take back the fans, this stadium, because he absolutely deserves this,” continued Mancini.

Check the Football Italia Player Ratings for Roma 2-0 Lazio

Roma revitalised under Ranieri

ROME, ITALY – JANUARY 05: Alexis Salememakers of AS Roma celebrates a second goal with his team mates during the Serie A match between Roma and Lazio at Stadio Olimpico on January 05, 2025 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Marco Rosi – SS Lazio/Getty Images)

Saelemaekers is on loan from Milan, where he exchanged places from Tammy Abraham, and found the net in his first Derby della Capitale.

“It is incredible. I had already played in the Milan Derby, but this is truly special too. I am very happy to have scored a goal and helped the team, now we want to continue like this,” Saelemaekers told DAZN.

“We told Pellegrini in the team bus that he would score a goal and he did. It has been a difficult time for him, but he is a very important player and we are all behind him.”

The return of Claudio Ranieri has really revitalised Roma as their third coach of the campaign after Daniele De Rossi and Ivan Juric.

He now has the remarkable record of having won all five editions of the Derby della Capitale as coach between Serie A and the Coppa Italia.

“The coach is a legend at Roma, we all know it. We’re very happy for him, as he arrived during a very difficult moment, he got us back on track, raised our mentality and we did it tonight for him as well as all the fans,” added Saelemaekers.

“We are truly proud to have won this Derby for the supporters.”

Mancini had special words for Ranieri too, returning for the third different stint as Roma coach in his long career.

“The coach brought calm, we are working well, preparing the games and the performances have been good other than against Como. The key in this city is to feel calm and have the fans behind us, as they represent 60-70 per cent of our victories and we want to thank them.

“Even in the bad moments we went through, the squad never fell apart, we never gave up and it was important to stick together, because that is easy when things go well, less so when they are going badly. In conclusion, Forza Roma!”