The win against Inter de Milán this past weekend confirmed AS Roma's ambitions, as they dream of making it to the Champions League after seven long years, thanks to Claudio Ranieri, already nicknamed "Sir" in the Italian capital. He’s the savior of a team that's been unbeaten in Serie A since December 15, 2024. Those nightmare months at the start of the season feel like a distant memory now, when "La Loba" was going through hell — first with the firing of Daniele De Rossi, then the resignation of Greek CEO Lina Souloukou (after threats from hardcore "giallorossa" fans), and finally the short-lived stint of Croatian coach Ivan Jurić, who was sacked in November after just two months in charge.

Ranieri, the Unlikely Hero

Things were really bad: two coaches fired in the first four months of the 2024-25 season, and three in total over the whole calendar year, starting with Portuguese manager José Mourinho getting the axe back in January. By the time Claudio Ranieri arrived in November, Roma had gone through four coaches in just one year. "Sir Claudio" had already announced his retirement in the summer of 2024 after saving Cagliari, but when the call came from "his" Roma — the club he played for in 1973-74 and coached twice before, from 2009-2011 and again at the end of 2018-19 — he just couldn’t say no.

Bringing Ranieri back turned out to be a genius move. In just five months, the team went from flirting with relegation to dreaming about the Champions League. They’re now just two points away from the target, with twelve points still up for grabs. Beating Inter at San Siro — a team that's fighting for the title — brought the squad even closer together, after months of being completely broken. Ranieri’s mantra, "this team has to become a real team," has been the key to their transformation.

Unbeaten Since December and Dreaming of the Champions League

The last time Roma lost a Serie A match was back on December 15, when they were beaten by Como, led by Cesc Fàbregas and Nico Paz. Since then, they've racked up 13 wins and 5 draws: 18 straight matches without a loss, pushing them up to sixth place with 60 points, just two behind fourth. The final stretch won’t be easy — they’ll be facing direct rivals like Atalanta, Milan, Fiorentina, and Torino, and they'll have to do it without Argentine star Paulo Dybala, who's out injured until next season.

Even with all the setbacks, that huge win against Inter, thanks to a goal by Argentine youngster Matías Soulé, has fired up the fans, who are dreaming once again of the Champions League, all thanks to "Sir Claudio." It would be a perfect farewell gift from a coach who’s always been devoted to the "giallorossi" colors. After this season ends, Ranieri will step down from the bench and move into a front office role at the club, ready to enjoy a well-earned retirement.