Italian coach Claudio Ranieri confirmed that Argentine star Paulo Dybala will remain a key element in Roma's lineup for the 2025/2026 season, highlighting the importance of his role in the team. He also delivered a strong message to Ukrainian striker Artem Dovbik, stressing the need for him to believe in the team and prove his worth.

Roma is preparing to face Cagliari on Sunday at the Olympic Stadium, as part of the Italian league, following their exit from the Europa League at the hands of Athletic Bilbao last Thursday.

During the press conference, Ranieri spoke about his decision to substitute Dovbik in the second half of the match against Athletic Bilbao, explaining the reasons behind his decision: "I changed him when I saw it was the right time, as the opponent was attacking strongly."

He added: "I wanted more balance in the midfield, which is why I brought in Soli to add more energy and solidity. But I expect a lot from Dovbik, and he needs to show a strong reaction. He must prove the quality of the player he is. I believe in him, but he must believe in us too; it depends on mutual trust."

When asked about the meaning of believing in the team, the Italian coach clarified: "We play with an aggressive style and enter matches with a winning mentality. I told him: You focus on scoring goals, and I will evaluate the performance. If you perform well and don’t score, I will accept that, but if you don’t perform well and don’t score, that’s concerning. I want him to focus on performance above all else."

He continued: "I know that players cannot always be at their best, but if you don’t give me a good performance and don’t score goals, it leaves me with a negative feeling. He has to fight like everyone else; he shouldn’t give up, or at least, I don’t want to believe that. If he gives up, I have 25 other players ready to participate."

Ranieri's contract continues until the end of the season, and he will play a role in selecting his potential successor for the 2025/2026 season, but he refused to provide any details about his future, saying: "Do you really think I will reveal anything? It’s still too early."

He added: "Wait until the end of the season, and you will know everything. The president will make the decision. I haven’t changed my mind; the focus now should be on the remaining ten matches, which are crucial for the fans and the club."

He continued: "We have five home matches and five away matches. Well, we can consider it six home matches because the match against Lazio doesn’t require travel. We must approach these ten matches as a matter of life or death and strive to collect as many points as possible."

Despite the uncertainty surrounding his future, Ranieri offered advice to his potential successor regarding star Paulo Dybala, indicating that he will remain a pivotal player in Roma's project for next season, saying: "Dybala is not at his peak fitness right now, but for me, he is a key player for next season."

He concluded: "With him, Roma becomes a different team. When he is on the pitch at full readiness, he is worth the ticket price; he does things that others cannot do."