Postecoglou relishing Roma test against ‘unbelievable’ Ranieri

Ange Postecoglou is relishing the task of going up against the “incredible” Claudio Ranieri when Tottenham Hotspur face Roma in the Europa League on Thursday.

Ranieri retired earlier this month and took charge of the Giallorossi until the end of the season, before returning for a third spell at the club.

During his previous two spells, the 73-year-old managed to make 96 appearances in all competitions, recording 53 wins, with a winning percentage of 55.21%.

However, his first game in charge ended in defeat, with Roma losing to Napoli, as former striker Romelu Lukaku scored the only goal of the match for Antonio Conte's side.

Thursday's meeting will be the first between Roma and Tottenham, with Postecoglou looking forward to the tie and taking on Ranieri.

“It's incredible. It just shows the passion he has for the game because I'm sure there are more fun and easier ways to enjoy his life now, but he still has that in him,” he said .

“I haven't come across him before but I'm looking forward to saying hello as it's always nice to meet some of these people who have had such a huge impact on football, especially on my field, management.

“He always comes across as a gentleman. I'm looking forward to meeting him, and it just shows that being a manager on the sidelines is the kind of bug you don't let go of.”

Claudio Ranieri is the new technical manager of the excellent team

Bentornato a casa, sir!

pic.twitter.com/vVl3sn3tcU

— AS Roma (@OfficialASRoma” >@OfficialASRoma) November 14, 2024

Spurs come into the encounter on the back of an impressive 4-0 win over Manchester City last Saturday, handing Pep Guardiola's fifth defeat in as many games.

Postecoglou's team also impressed in Europe. They have won their last seven home games in the Europa League without conceding, while also scoring nineteen goals themselves.

Spurs have had an up and down start to the season, with no consistency in results so far, especially in the Premier League.

Although Postecoglou acknowledged that there had been some difficult moments this season, he praised his players for the excellent football they have played this season.

“You'll see the same Spurs that you see every game. It's about going out there and trying to play our football and be the best we can be,” Postecoglou said.

“Sometimes that doesn't work and it hasn't worked for us in a few games this year. We know that and it's something we have to improve on.

“At the same time, it was more good than bad. If you're looking for likely outcomes, I'd say good, but we've had the flat spots that we're working through.

“I'm not taking anything away from the football we played. We played excellent football. For me it's about progress.

“I keep saying we are a better team than last year and we want to keep improving. If we keep improving, we will slowly overcome the areas where there are gaps.”