These are the words of the yellow-and-red team’s coach at the press conference on the eve of the fifth day of the League Phase of the Europa League against the Spurs.

The Roma, after their away defeat against Napoli in the championship, returns to the field for the fifth day of the League Phase of the Europa League against Tottenham. This will be the first European match for Claudio Ranieri since his return to the yellow-and-red, and he spoke at a press conference on the eve of the match against the Spurs scheduled for Thursday, November 28th at 9:00 PM. Here are his words.

Does tomorrow’s match matter more for the ranking or for morale? “Both things. It will not be an easy match, we know that, Tottenham in their last 15 games in Europe has seized victory in 13 and drawn 2. They are currently in an exceptional run, having scored 4 goals against City. This reflects their indomitable spirit and formidable performance on the pitch. In their recent games, they have suffered two losses, but emerged victorious against City, United, and Aston Villa. This is a team that grinds through the game, relentlessly hammering and pressuring their opponents. “It’s the kind of football that I love, because it gives immense emotions to its fans. The coach is doing an excellent, wonderful job: I congratulate him.”

Is Hummels’ press conference a hint to the lineup? What kind of attitude will be needed if he’s playing as the 5th? “Hummels showed up because he’s a major player internationally. It wasn’t pre-tactics, I need to discuss a bit with everyone. I have set them free mentally, tomorrow I will talk with all of them to understand even more. Hummels played the first 45 minutes, we will see if he has recovered. The performance we put on in Naples was not disappointing to me, we lost due to indecisiveness, a lack of trajectory vision. Di Lorenzo did well to bring it inside, we were expecting a long ball: they surprised us. The team responded well, fought to the very end, and sought a draw. For me, these are significant matters, I even said this to the boys: I asked them to give everything at 100%, then you can play well or badly but you must leave the field content that you gave your all. “We made some mistakes, I didn’t expect that kind of game: we were a bit hesitant, we made a few mistakes in the first half and a bit of passing. The performance is there, it’s not like the new coach arrives with a wand and changes everything.” “We are like that ailing patient lying there, the doctor arrives, trying to find the right antidote to make the patient react. The patient is reacting, I see it in the training and tactical sessions.” I’m moderately positive. In these three games, I am not expecting miracles, the boys know it. “What we need to do is start implanting in our minds the desire to fight until the very last second.”

How much would you have wanted to avoid such a match and how much instead is it a stimulation? “It’s a high stimulation, I didn’t have friendly matches to evaluate the options I could have. This is not a friendly match, it’s an amazing team that leads the league in goals scored in the English championship and for the pressure they bring to bear. They won’t let us breathe, we must be very shrewd and very smart. “I am happy. I care about every game, about everything,” he stated emphatically.

Will Dybala be able to play tomorrow? “He has practiced; he isn’t suffering from any minor pain. Tomorrow, I will decide what I can do. One thing is to have Dybala, another is to not have him. I put him in as a last resort, to see if he could whip up a penetrating pass or something else. “I didn’t want to put him in, he asked to be taken with the team to Naples. What I asked him is not to get hurt in the last three minutes,” “Is this the first time you’re returning to Tottenham’s new stadium?” “Yes, it is the first time.”

“What is the crucial role of the defenders?” “We have studied this team, I like their attacking style.” “It’s a beautiful machine that pushes its engine to the limit. I told the boys that we need to be tactically smart and very clever. The moment we hold the ball, it gets snatched from us so we have to make it move quickly.” Another club close to her needs help at this moment: would he have reversed his decision to leave football for Leicester? “When I decided to retire, I didn’t think for a minute I could return, nor did I hope for it. The two teams that could have brought me back to the football field were Roma and Cagliari. I was hoping to return, a return would have meant that these two teams were not doing well. I am convinced that Leicester will bounce back soonest, they have a supportive fan base and competent leadership. Vardy, once again, pulls off his magic, scoring goals. I wish for him to emerge from this negative phase. “In 2016, you and your team broke the hearts of Tottenham fans: do you think you can do the same tomorrow?” “Are you wishing me that? I do hope so.”