Ranieri: I didn’t want to risk Dybala, Roma put in ‘best performance’ at Venezia | OneFootball

Roma coach Claudio Ranieri admitted he didn’t want to ‘risk’ Paulo Dybala against Venezia but eventually did well to listen to his player’s will, as he converted a second-half penalty to earn the Giallorossi their second consecutive win in Serie A.

The 73-year-old believes the ‘humility’ and ‘commitment’ he saw from his players made their narrow victory over Eusebio Di Francesco’s side their ‘best performance’, although he was already satisfied with their mid-week display against Milan, as much as it resulted in their elimination from the Coppa Italia.

Paulo Dybala of Roma shoots during the Serie A match between Venezia and AS Roma at Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo on February 09, 2025 in Venice, Italy. (Photo by Timothy Rogers/Getty Images)

Ranieri: Dybala told me he wanted to play, Roma’s new signings adapted well

“I saw that the team replicated the performance from San Siro, because there was a performance there too, but we faced an opponent stronger than us,” Ranieri said at a post-match press conference, as quoted by TMW.

“Venezia have always won or lost by a one-goal margin here, we knew it would be difficult. We knew everything, I had asked them to give a response to themselves, and then we would accept the verdict of the pitch.

“It was our best performance in terms of humility and commitment. I wasn’t worried against Napoli, Eintracht Frankfurt, and Milan because I knew the performance would be there.

“I wanted to see them today against such a tough team that doesn’t give up anything until the end, and I’m happy with the response.”

ALKMAAR, NETHERLANDS – JANUARY 23: Head Coach Claudio Ranieri of AS Roma looks on ahead of the UEFA Europa League 2024/25 League Phase MD7 match between AZ Alkmaar and AS Roma at AZ Stadion on January 23, 2025 in Alkmaar, Netherlands. (Photo by Alex Bierens de Haan/Getty Images)

Dybala scored his sixth Serie A goal of the season in a match that he wasn’t certain of playing, as Ranieri himself admitted.

“I didn’t want him to play at all, but he told me: ‘I want to play.’ I didn’t want to risk him,” the Giallorossi coach explained.

New signings Lucas Gourna-Douath and Devyne Rensch were both included in Roma’s starting line-up, although Ranieri conceded he was ‘more relaxed’ after subbing off the former in the second half.

“They are players who adapted right away,” Ranieri continued.

“The training sessions we did were what they were due to the limited time, but we knew them because we studied them.

“Gourna-Douath is a good player, I took him off because of the yellow card even though he told me he was calm, but that way I was more relaxed.”

Can Roma be back in the fight for European spots?

“Let’s see what happens. If these next matches go well, then the artillery comes into play because there will be big matches from now until the end,” the coach concluded.