Roma, Claudio Ranieri calls for concentration ahead of Porto

These are the words of Roma coach Claudio Ranieri in a press conference in Porto on the eve of the first leg of the Europa League playoffs.

“The first thing will be to be super focused because I expect to a harried Porto, supported by their fans. We have to play as we know, with great intensityà, with great naturalness. We have to play one game away from home and one away, but I want a Roma that plays both away and at home in the same way”.

“Porto è a team that has very good ball possession, has great technical quality, presses a lot and wants to win the ball back immediately, so we will have to really play a great game”, added the Giallorossi coach.

“Does Roma struggle away from home? Maybe we find teams that are stronger than us but we are working on it. If we win at home maybe the others are afraid of us. Certainly, tomorrow we will play our game trying to create at Porto the problems we know how to create for our opponents”.

These playoffs, Ranieri later stressed, will be important becauseè ” both teams are below what Roma and Porto are. Whoever passes the round takesà self-esteem, conviction and desire to go asù forward as possible”.

Allianz Milan knockout in Ankara, Roberto Piazza already thinks about the return

A bad start to the Cev Champions League playoffs for Allianz Milano, defeated in Ankara by Halkbank Ankara in the first leg match. The Milanese team surrendered to the Turks in four sets (27-25; 16-25; 21-25; 31-33) and will have to play for everything in the return match on Feb. 25 at 8:45 p.m. in Busto Arsizio,

A thrilling first set, won in a comeback by Milan when few would have bet on it. An unplayed second, with the overflowing Turks closing on the wave of enthusiasm also the third. The fourth and decisive partial led for a long time, but remained in Ankara for two better handled balls by the hosts.

“In the end we really missed a few things,” Coach Roberto Piazza admits to the official channels of Allianz Milano.

You win or lose the set by a ball, sometimes by a play not handled well, sometimes by a decent serve or a reception on an almost impossible ball. It is always the individual situations that però fill the choralityà of the team that must play like an’orchestra”.

“Too bad, we knew it was going to be a very difficult competition. We got there on a health level not in the best way, but there can be no justification for that. Now we know that we have the return match at home in 13 days. I’ve already told the boys. We realized that the difference between us and them is two balls to a game. So we will prepare to face the return match and bring home just those two more balls than our opponents” concludes the coach of the Lombard club.

Antonio Zappi opens to a new VAR protocol

Speaking on the occasion of the awarding of the Enzo Bearzot 2025 National Prize, Antonio Zappi, president of the AIA, opened to a change in the VAR protocol after the refereeing controversy that marked the last day of Serie A.

“Satisfied? Obviously not, there’è some problems and we cannot deny it – underlines the number one of the referees -. But one cannot impute to the refereeing world the’application of a protocol. If the Ifab modifies it, we will adapt, we are open to any experimentation. Uniformity is a difficult concept to apply, we strive to reduce the gray areas, that is, those subject to interpretation. It’s the Ifab that modifies the protocol regulations”.

“If and when it decidesà to update the tool that allows to ensure regularity, we will gladly do so, from our side there&39;è maximum openness – added Zappi -. Thursday; will beò in Coverciano for the retreat of the Can. Rocchi is asking referees to improve, the indications are to improve the uniformity of subjective decisions. Our goal è to reduce the margin of gray, I quote in this Farina”.

Final comment on the Bastoni episode in Inter-Fiorentina: “”The camera shows how the ball had gone out. Forè only those who è have been on the field of play can understand that at that moment, from La Penna’s perspective, Bastoni was covering with his body, the ball. It was impossible for him to see it. Assistant 2 was on the other side, surely it was a fast action. Could he have been a little bit ahead? Maybe sì, forò we always talk about the beauty of soccer that è even the&39;opinabilityà of the refereeing decision”.