'I didn't like him!' - Claudio Ranieri overlooks feud with new Roma boss Gian Piero Gasperini as advisor backs ex-Atalanta coach to fix 'underground' morale at Serie A side

Roma’s newly appointed sports advisor, Ranieri, who managed the side last season, joked that the pair had a clash of personalities as their teams faced each other several times in Serie A. However, the ex-Chelsea boss overlooked his personal feelings to endorse his appointment as he hailed Gasperini as the man to change the team's mentality.

The 73-year-old was bold enough to admit in a public press conference that he did not like Gasperini initially, but insists he will act as a friend and intervene if he’s called upon. Gasperini has done well wherever he has coached, be it Atalanta, Genoa, or Crotone. His long stint at the Bergamo outfit, where he won the Europa League, acts as proof of his methods, and as a result, the Roma owners decided to shortlist him for the role.

Asked about the relationship with the new coach, Ranieri said: "I didn't like him, I told him so. He was chosen because I am convinced that Rome needs a strong personality, a coach who is never satisfied, who is always angry, who wants to improve the team, the individual. It won't be easy, that's why we offer him a year to make himself understood. I will be a friend for him, I will be on one side and if he needs something he will try to solve problems."

He added: "He knows of the difficulties we will encounter in these two markets, if I had stayed I would have lost a year of time for the construction, he was called to build something that can bear fruit. Personality, outspoken, he speaks to my face, sometimes even with a nasty face, with me it happened a few times because it is part of my character, even if sometimes I was a bit resentful."

Roma will play against clubs like Kaiserslautern, Lens, Aston Villa, and Everton in the pre-season friendlies in July and August.