The yellow-and-red team’s coach explained his decision this way: “I didn’t make any substitutions not because these are the starters or the others are in reserve, but because I saw they were reading the game well and there were no lapses in tension.”

In a stunning development, Roma mercilessly swept Parma aside with a 5-0 win in their final home match of 2024. A superb performance from the 11 players chosen by Ranieri who stayed on the pitch for the entire 90 minutes of the match. The Roma coach, in fact, decided not to make any substitutions and continued with the starting lineup he sent into the field from the beginning. An unconventional decision yet Sir Claudio clarified on the DAZN microphones at the end of the match: “I didn’t make any changes not because these players are starters or the others are substitutes, I saw they were interpreting the match well and there was no lapse in tension. They were doing well and I said ‘okay, I’ll continue with these players without making drastic changes.” There was no why or how. Just my desire to let the game continue for those who started it, to play it out in its entirety. “My team members have also asked me this. We are used to making five substitutions, but they were focused and were playing well, so I said ‘I’ll leave them in’,” It’s probably one of the very few cases in the era of the 5 substitutions, but even in this, Ranieri has managed to surprise.