Serie A pundit questions Ranieri’s Dybala decision: ‘It’s a mystery’ | OneFootball

Former Inter coach Andrea Stramaccioni struggles to understand why Claudio Ranieri introduced Paulo Dybala only for the final three minutes against Napoli: ‘It’s a mystery.’

Roma suffered an away 1-0 loss at Napoli on Sunday, a day that marked Ranieri’s return to the Giallorossi dugout.

Dybala was not fully fit so he started on the bench at the Stadio Maradona, but he was introduced only in the final three minutes.

Even Saud Abdulhamid and Samuel Dahl came off the bench before the Argentinean, while Matias Soulé, one of Roma’s most expensive signings last summer, spent the whole game on the bench.

Serie A pundit questions Ranieri’s Dybala decision: ‘It’s a mystery’

Claudio Ranieri oversees his first training session back in charge of Roma. (picture via www.asroma.it)

After the final whistle, Dybala trained with Soulé and other Roma reserves on the Maradona turf.

“This leaves me in incredible doubt,” Stramaccioni told DAZN.

“If he does this exercise, it means that he’s fit. So it’s a mystery why he only played for three minutes. He’s not necessarily fully fit, but I think he could have played 15 or 20 [minutes] if he was involved for just three. There isn’t a player who is fit for just three minutes.

“If Dybala, or any other player, enters for the final three minutes, he can play for 15 as well,” insisted Stramaccioni.

“Soulé surprised me, too,” concluded the ex-Inter coach.

“He scored 11 goals last season, but Abdulhamid was picked over him.”

Ranieri will explain his decisions during post-match interviews coming shortly.

Roma remain 12th in the Serie A table, just four points above the drop zone.

Their next competitive match is against Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League on Thursday, November 28.