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Claudio Ranieri is preparing for what could be his last Rome derby as he continues to guide AS Roma towards a possible Champions League return, before stepping away from management once and for all.
Since returning to his beloved club in November, the 73-year-old veteran has overseen a dramatic revival. When Ranieri came out of retirement to become Roma’s third manager this season—following Daniele De Rossi and the short-lived tenure of Ivan Juric—the team appeared to be sliding dangerously close to the relegation zone.
Now, just four points off Serie A’s top four, Roma are firmly back in contention for European football. Sunday’s showdown against city rivals Lazio is a pivotal clash in the chase for Champions League qualification, with Inter Milan and Napoli largely clear at the top, leaving two spots up for grabs among a tightly-packed group.
Roma currently sit seventh, two points behind sixth-placed Lazio, and are unbeaten in the league since a shock defeat to Como in mid-December. A 1-1 draw at home to Juventus last weekend ended a run of seven straight league wins but showed how far the team has progressed under Ranieri’s steady leadership.
Despite frequent calls for him to extend his stay, Ranieri remains adamant that this campaign will be his last. Even Italy legend Gianluigi Buffon urged him to reconsider, calling his plan to retire “absurd” in light of the remarkable turnaround.
“Honestly, Gigi, I’d already retired last year,” Ranieri replied. “I told myself I’d only come back for Roma or Cagliari, and I prayed I wouldn’t have to, because it would mean they were in trouble. I’ve spent over 35 years travelling the world, and I still don’t know it. I want to explore what else there is beyond football before I die. Big Ben has said ‘stop’.”
Lazio, fresh from an impressive away victory over faltering Atalanta, will also be confident heading into the derby. Under Marco Baroni, they have surged back into the top-four race and now sit just two points off fourth-placed Bologna.
From Atalanta in third down to Fiorentina in eighth, only six points separate the sides, setting up a tense final run-in with several head-to-head encounters still to come.
Atalanta, who had looked like title challengers earlier in the season, are faltering at the worst possible time. They’ve now lost three consecutive matches without scoring and haven’t won at home in the league since before Christmas, putting their Champions League hopes in real danger.
Bologna, riding a wave of good form, take on Atalanta this weekend, while Juventus and Fiorentina could capitalise with fixtures against struggling sides Lecce and Parma, respectively.
Meanwhile, title contenders Inter and Napoli continue their battle at the top with home ties against lowly Cagliari and Empoli. Inter are still buzzing from their last-minute Champions League win over Bayern Munich but must remain focused with the second leg looming midweek. Napoli, with no European distractions, have a relatively gentle final stretch against mostly bottom-half teams.
