After he was last criticized, the Rio world champion now gets a lot of balm for the soul.
90 minutes on the pitch, no mistake, a deserved victory – and a lot of praise: Mats Hummels has achieved seventh success in series with AS Rome in Italian series A.
Mats Hummels (right) in a duel
“Hummels gives the whole defense security. This time he does not make a single mistake. He plays cleanly and effectively,” wrote the Gazzetta Dello Sport after the 1-0 against the relegation threatened US Lecce on matchday 30. And the Corriere Dello Sport said: “Hummels shines in his first game after the catastrophe of Bilbao. Mats relies on all his experience and his good shape to give his team the victory.”
Ranieri wants to qualify for Europe
Coach Claudio Ranieri climbed with his team in sixth place in the table and hopes for a successful season sprint. “We are now thinking of the next match against Juventus,” said the coach with a view to the top game next Sunday: “Our goal is qualification for Europe.”
Ranieri also confirmed that he would leave Rome after the season and help the club find a suitable successor. “I am absolutely certain that I will stop at the end of this season. I can assure that the next coach will be younger than I will be,” said the 73-year-old: “I hope that I can still fulfill my job until the end. Fortunately, my heart is strong, my boys often make me tremble.”