Lecce-Roma 0-1, Ranieri: "Dovbyk needs serenity. My replacement? It will definitely be..."

Lecce 29 March 2025 - The Roma wins by a narrow margin in the away match at Via del Mare against LecceThe signature is of Artem dovbyk on 0-1 in favor of the Capitoline team, a success that is worth another three points and the seventh consecutive victory for the team Ranieri. The Salento team falls again, fifth consecutive defeat for the Giallorossi of Puglia. Here are all the words of the protagonists at the end of the match to the microphones of Dazn.

Ranieri: "Dovbyk can still grow. For the end of the season I can only promise hard work"

It couldn't help but start from Artem dovbyk, the intervention of Claudio Ranieri to the reporters' microphones. The Italian coach is enjoying the Ukrainian striker, but he is convinced that he can give even more to this team both for the end of the season and for the continuation of his adventure in Italy. "dovbyk he is a very sensitive boy, he needs affection. I asked the team not so much to cuddle him, but to understand him and give him all the balls he prefers. He has exceptional qualities and little by little he will understand Italian football more and more. I believe he can do even more. He can score more goals, but it is not easy. He must remain calm and it is not easy when behind his back there is the whole family situation he lives. We must always remember this. When he fights like this I really like it. I explained to him that goals are important, but it is even more important to fight for every ball possible. Little by little I am convinced that he will bring out all his soul".

The key substitution of the match was the entry of Shomurodov, without however taking over the Ukrainian striker, in fact switching to a two-man attack. A winning choice explained by the coach as follows: "I chose to put two men up front. I gave dovbyk a shoulder, moreover a fast player like Shomurodov. I wanted him to feel more supported up front and it worked."

La Champions so it remains close after this great victory, but Ranieri he doesn't want to make any promises, just the guarantee to continue on the path taken. "I continue to work, I said it when I arrived. I don't make any promises, just hard work, it's my way of doing things. We have to fight, even suffer because today, ready, go, we had two opportunities that we didn't know how to take advantage of. I told the guys to stay calm and improve the details. There were some mistakes of ours, pay attention to these little things".

The interview also ends with a small comment from the coach on who will replace him on the Roma bench in the summer. "I hope I can carry out my task to the fullest. The only promise I can make is that whoever arrives will be younger than me, because if they weren't it could be a problem (laughs, ed.). The choice won't have much of an impact on whether or not I arrive in Champions League. It's important to bring these guys to their true value to make wise choices, also because we have little margin due to financial fair play". 

Giampaolo: "We were penalised by the goal action, a foul could have been called on Baschirotto"

Despite the fifth consecutive defeat there are no regrets at home Lecce, but a pinch of recriminations yes. Polemical vein for Marco Giampaolo to the microphones of Dazn, when analyzing the match he emphasized how for him the action of the guests' goal would be tainted by a potential foul dovbyk against baschirotto. "We were penalised by an action that led to the goal of Roma. In my opinion, a foul could have been called against baschirotto, but that was not the case. The team played with spirit, with determination, but that was not enough. On the action of the goal the defender runs to protect the goal and is caught in the middle by the two opponents and suffers a shoulder charge from dovbyk. I don't know if this foul would not have been called if the roles had been reversed. I think so. baschirotto he's two meters, every day in the gym, he's not a player who throws himself, it's not like him. I think it's okay. For me it's obvious how the shoulder throws him to the ground. It's part of football, but there's no need to be smart there".

The coach, however, says he is satisfied with his team, whose spirit never wavered until the referee's final whistle. "The team plays with spirit, with conviction. We were against a team superior to us, where they had great consistency of performance, we did not. However, the team played, I cannot reproach them for anything. They sweated for their shirt until the 95th minute, they fought, they stayed in the game. Mistakes are made, they are part of the game. However, there are things that are beyond your control. If desire or spirit had been lacking, I would have admitted it, but this did not happen. We conceded an avoidable goal, we knew how to suffer. We are deeply sorry, but now we just have to get over this disappointment quickly".

But one wonders whether this Lecce there is no shortage of goals from other players as well Kristovic. A theme however that Giampaolo he doesn't want to deal with it, preferring an overall vision, rather than the faults or mistakes of individuals. "It's clear that if we had contributed with more goals from midfield or other departments we would have a few more points that wouldn't put us in the difficulties we are in now. This didn't happen, but it's not these players' fault. However, we didn't do them, we will have to kick better. These are things that at the moment I don't care much about. I think game by game, we have to foam at the mouth, shed tears, like the team did today, fight for every ball. If the opponents are better we will shake their hand".

Dovbyk: "The first season in Italy was not easy. I did not celebrate because I was tired"

Author of the winning goal and man of the match Serie A for this match, Artem dovbyk he showed up at the end of the race to comment on the success of the Roma against Lecce to the microphones of Dazn. Still not at ease with Italian, the Ukrainian explained in English the reasons behind his lack of celebration after the goal that earned his team the three points. "It was the eightieth minute when I scored, I was quite tired, that's why I didn't celebrate much. I celebrated after the game with my teammates. The important thing was the three points and we got them."

From the single match, we then moved on to a quick evaluation of the season so far spent with the Giallorossi colors by the Ukrainian striker. "My first season in Italy was not easy. I'll be honest, there were many strange things, we changed three coaches. I continue to learn, I continued to work and now I'm here. Now little by little we are doing what we are capable of".

Cristante: "If you don't win these matches, you can't play the head-to-head matches on equal terms"

He wasn't the only one who spoke dovbyk to the microphones of Dazn, next to him on the sidelines at the end of the match there was also Bryan Crystalline, who described his feelings at the end of the success against Lecce. 

We started with the importance of the result, a very precious victory obtained tooth and nail at the end of a hard-fought match. A success that the midfielder defines as fundamental to be ready for the final rush of the season. "It is so important - he says Crystalline - win games like today's. If you don't win these games then you can't play the head-to-head matches for the end of the season so it was important to take the three points. We're coming into the head-to-head matches in a tight spot and now we'll play this end of the championship".

Interviewed in the company of dovbyk, the midfielder explained how they are experiencing his moment of form at this stage of the season. "We know that all strikers also live off goals. We - explains the Giallorossi midfielder - were close to him when the moment was a little more complicated, now instead he is scoring. Artem is a good guy, a strong player, he had some difficulties, but now he is scoring his goals. We hope that in the final stages he continues to grow". 

Roma are having a golden moment: seven consecutive victories that allow the Giallorossi to stay close to the positions they were Champions League. An almost unexpected comeback by the team from the capital who are enjoying the moment but want to raise the bar even higher. "A few months ago I would have signed to be where we are now. We were good at turning the season around, now we are here and we are playing. We haven't done anything yet, but now that we can play our chances it is very important".