Ranieri Quotes Kipling in Press Conference: “Victory and Defeat Are…” – What Does It Mean for Bilbao?

Claudio Ranieri, the embodiment of passion and poetry, has once again turned to the literary world to inspire his Roma side ahead of their crucial Europa League clash. In a press conference held at Trigoria, preceding the visit of Athletic Bilbao, Ranieri invoked the wisdom of Rudyard Kipling, one of his literary muses, as he had done during his stints at Leicester and Cagliari. Speaking to Sky Sport, he expressed his thoughts on what the future holds for Roma: “What can we achieve? We must be skilled at letting go of past performances. When I arrived, I quoted Kipling: ‘Victory and defeat are but impostors.’ We've picked ourselves up from a challenging spell—each match stands alone, and we must approach every game with that mindset until the season wraps up.” As for the Bilbao fans, Ranieri had kind words, noting, “They're passionate and fair—good people, gentlemen, in fact. I hope the atmosphere is electric but devoid of any hostility. This is a football match, after all.” He acknowledged that Athletic Bilbao presents a different challenge compared to conventional Spanish teams, as they eagerly pursue goals in a manner he finds pleasing. “They’ll press hard, knowing they need a win. We must play our game, fearless,” he added. Ranieri continued, “The players are in the right mindset; my role is merely to balance things out. They’ve prepared well since our last outing in Empoli. We should remain calm, as I always say: focus on your performance, and then we will consider the outcome. I’m fortunate to have players who have stood by me from the start; even during our off days, their mentality remained strong. Everyone knows their role, and tomorrow night, we must tackle each challenge head-on.”   Resource: "https://www.corrieredellosport.it/news/calcio/serie-a/roma/2025/03/12-139122535/ranieri_la_citazione_di_kipling_in_conferenza_stampa_prima_del_bibao_vittoria_e_sconfitta_sono_"