Ranieri: “The result is harsh on us, as for the referee…”

Claudio Ranieri seemed to be unable to digest the negative result on Sunday afternoon at the Dall’Ara, knowing that Sampdoria deserved more. “A draw would’ve been a fair result today. We were playing very well up until their third goal, creating many openings and putting Bologna under pressure. It’s a shame we hit the post early on, but I am pleased and proud of this team, as we kept trying to score, even when the contest seemed over at 3-1. We gave everything and left the pitch with our heads held high.”

It often comes down to fine margins in football and the coach was quick to stress just that in his post-match interview: “Before their two goals, there were clear fouls on the edge of the box that weren’t awarded in our favour and within a few seconds, we fell behind on the scoreboard. The incredible thing is that in the second half, there was an identical incident but the other way round and the decision was the opposite. To be honest, Irrati is the number one VAR, but he can’t do it out on the pitch. I’d think twice before withdrawing any referees because of age limits. As for our team, we don’t have that ruthless streak. We have to be more ruthless and use the tricks of the trade. We were too innocent out there today.”