Ranieri praises Roma’s performance against Venezia, explains Dybala decision

Roma manager Claudio Ranieri expressed satisfaction with his team’s 1-0 victory over Venezia, calling it their “best performance” in terms of humility and commitment. The coach revealed he initially did not want to risk playing Paulo Dybala, but the Argentine insisted on participating and ended up scoring the winning penalty.

Ranieri stated, “I saw the team replicate their performance from San Siro. We knew Venezia would be a difficult opponent, as they’ve only won or lost by small margins at home. I asked the players to prove something to themselves, and they responded well.”

Regarding Dybala’s involvement, Ranieri explained, “I didn’t want him to play at all, but he told me ‘I want to play.’ I was hesitant to risk him, but it worked out in the end.”

The coach also praised new signings Lucas Gourna-Douath and Devyne Rensch for adapting quickly to the team. He mentioned substituting Gourna-Douath due to a yellow card, saying, “That way I felt more at ease.”

When asked about Roma’s chances of competing for European spots, Ranieri remained cautious: “We’ll see what happens. If the upcoming matches go well, then we can start thinking bigger, as there will be crucial games from now until the end of the season.”