Roma centre-back Mats Hummels has denied rumors of a dispute with coach Claudio Ranieri, asserting that he greatly ‘respects and values’ the Giallorossi manager.
The 2014 World Cup champion sparked speculation with an Instagram post caption: “The Oscar for the longest vacation goes to …”, accompanied by photos of his Roman sightseeing.
After Hummels was benched for Roma’s 2-1 victory over Como, some interpreted his Instagram caption as a subtle jab at Ranieri for the omission.
Hummels Responds to Ranieri Fall-out Rumors
Hummels has faced previous accusations of posting cryptic messages on Instagram, such as “Match pictures to be included soon, I hope,” while awaiting his Roma debut under Ivan Juric.
Both Hummels and Ranieri deny any discord. Hummels clarified on his Instagram story: “Every time I post a private picture from Rome, people write ‘Vacanze en Rome’ and that’s what the joke is about under my last post.
“It’s crazy that someone interprets it as criticism towards Mister Ranieri, whom I deeply respect and value. Wow.”
Ranieri also addressed the rumored issues with Hummels during a pre-match press conference on Wednesday, responding with frustration.
“Why do you always look for problems?” Ranieri questioned.
“I understand the desire to highlight Roma’s struggles, but there’s nothing to it. No concerns, nothing at all. We are all getting along well.”