Ranieri praises Hummels: “He’s a world champion.”

Roma manager Claudio Ranieri had high praise for veteran defender Mats Hummels.

Earlier today, Mats Hummels returned to Roma’s starting line-up after missing the past two games with a flu.

His contribution was crucial, giving Roma the needed stability to dominate Parma and win 5-0.

In his post-match interview, Ranieri said of Hummels, “What can I say about him? He’s a world champion, he’s played in a Champions League final and he’s physically in good shape, even though he had the flu all week.”

“But when he tells me he’s fine, he plays. That’s the rule. He’s one of the two players who lead the team along with Paredes.”

“In Como I didn’t have them. I clearly see that the rest of the team play with a different confidence when there are those two are leading them.”