Roma-Cagliari, De Rossi finds Ranieri again: “A lord of football, but I want the hat trick”

Tomorrow he will be looking for his third victory in three games, which could definitively launch him towards the Champions League. But tomorrow he will above all meet Claudio Ranieri, with whom he has always had a special relationship. This is why the match against Cagliari will be a particular challenge for Daniele De Rossi. “Many good memories unite me with him, perhaps the two most emotional moments in the Giallorossi: the year in which we came close to the Scudetto and the one in which we accompanied each other to the door, leaving our favorite team. When you spend these emotional moments next to a man like him, it’s all a gain. He has an elegant, somewhat Roman manner, a sharp intelligence that gives you nuances that perhaps you haven’t grasped. You always leave a chat with him enriched. I will be happy to beat him this year after last year’s match against Spal, I have true affection for the man and respect for the coach.”

the new ones

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Yes, winning is Roma’s goal to look even more closely at the Champions League zone. “We’re coming off a full week of work, for a coach it’s a lot of work compared to when he plays every three days and you train by playing. Even if we can’t wait to play the cup and hope it lasts as long as possible. But the boys worked hard, pushed hard, responding well with their heads and legs.” And tomorrow will also be Angelino and Baldanzi’s first, with the full-back starting and the playmaker ready to take over. “They both have qualities in their play, in their positioning without the ball, in their football and in their first steps. I like it a lot, they also immediately activated good interaction with the other classmates. The UEFA list? I only made the changes, trying to give priority to a list with a double chance in all roles. Two were left out, Huijsen and Kristensen, because we have a lot of central defenders and we already have two right-backs, Celik and Karsdorp. But they are two players that I consider very important for the future.”

the choices

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Exactly like Sanches and Smalling, whose recovery is now upon us. “Sanches is a little ahead of Smalling, his recovery is now complete, he is part of the group. For Chris, however, we have modulated the loads, we expect him to be called up for Inter or Feyenoord. I see Renato psychologically fine, he certainly wasn’t happy about the injuries. But all the players need something on a psychological level.” And it will also be useful tomorrow, where someone will have to stay out in midfield. “It’s an advantage to have strong players, Inter keeps Frattesi and Asslani out. We have to make choices thinking about the opponent, let’s hope we choose well. But with 11 strong players you win the game, with a complete squad you achieve your objectives.” Finally Dybala: “There are players who have such an understanding and talent that you have to give them a bit of freedom, the important thing is the occupation of spaces. Then close to the area Paulo does as he pleases, he finds the solution on his own. I played with Totti for 20 years and no one told him what to do or where to go.”