Gaetano, the Scudetto race seems to have turned into a four-way battle, with Juventus six points behind. The recent missteps by Napoli and Atalanta and Inter’s “Champions League distraction”—can these really put the Bianconeri back in contention?
«Yes, the Scudetto race can really involve four teams. Juventus is back in the game, while Atalanta suffered a setback with their draw against Venezia, missing the opportunity to close the gap on Inter and Napoli. At the moment, I see Inter as slightly favored due to the depth of their squad, but they must be careful: when you’re aiming for the treble, mental energy can wear thin, and it’s not every year that you have the chance to compete for all three trophies. It will be a tight race until the end, with these four teams as the main contenders.»
PSV lost 7-1 at home to Arsenal, Bruges fell 3-1 to Aston Villa, and Feyenoord was clearly beaten 2-0 by Inter: do these defeats increase the regrets of Juventus, Atalanta, and Milan for their eliminations in the playoffs?
«I don’t think there’s much room for regret. Italian football has been struggling in Europe, apart from Inter and Roma, who in recent years have shown they can be competitive—Inter in the Champions League and Roma in the Europa League. Atalanta also achieved a great result by winning the Europa League. More than regrets, I think there was perhaps an underestimation of the opponents, a mistake you simply cannot afford in European competitions.»
In the Europa League, Roma defeated Athletic Club Bilbao 2-1 in the first leg of the Round of 16. Ranieri prepared the match perfectly and managed it well during the game. How much did the home advantage play a role, and how incredible was Shomurodov’s late winner?
«Roma pulled off a great comeback against Athletic Bilbao after undeservedly falling behind. The spectacle at the Stadio Olimpico was extraordinary, and such a passionate crowd naturally lifts a team that is already confident. The rest was down to Ranieri, who got everything right, both in his initial setup and his in-game adjustments. Shomurodov, the match-winner, is a completely revitalized player thanks to the coach, who has always believed in him and put him in a position to be decisive, even in such an important match. That goal in the last action of the game was stunning in its execution and truly delivered an incredible emotion to the more than 65,000 fans at the Olimpico.
But Shomurodov isn’t the only player reborn under Ranieri. Take Celik, for example—since arriving at Roma, he had never fully convinced, but yesterday he was one of the best on the pitch. In his new tactical role as a right-sided center-back, he seems to have found the perfect conditions to perform well.»
Lazio won 2-1 with just nine men against eleven against Viktoria Plzen in a much tougher match than expected. What are your thoughts?
«Lazio showed great character by winning while being numerically inferior. It was by no means an easy game, which confirms just how challenging European competitions can be. This victory should make Sarri’s team reflect on their journey ahead in Europe: while it’s true that their path seems more manageable compared to Roma’s, they cannot afford to underestimate any opponent. Especially against smaller teams, matches turn into battles, and no one gives you anything for free.»
Fiorentina disappointed in the first leg of the Conference League Round of 16 in Athens. How do you assess their performance?
«I wouldn’t say Fiorentina disappointed, despite their 3-2 loss. The real issue for the Viola this season has been their lack of consistency—they’ve alternated between excellent performances and sudden drops and still haven’t found their definitive identity. Moreover, the near-tragic incident involving Edoardo Bove had a deep impact on Palladino, who lost a key reference point for his system. He tried to replace him with players of different characteristics but without the same effectiveness. Fiorentina needs to regain stability, but changing the tactical setup too frequently risks destabilizing the squad. I wasn’t disappointed yesterday—I was already disappointed two months ago when, after a series of great performances, they started to decline. Florence is a passionate football city, but sometimes excess enthusiasm leads to over-excitement too quickly, making setbacks hit even harder during difficult moments.»
