Departing Roma coach Claudio Ranieri has criticised the board for their transfer decisions.

Ranieri accused the club of selling their spine.

“Roma had a fantastic season in 2017-18, but they sold important players, pulling apart the spine of the team that was starting to open up a new era," Ranieri told Sky Sport Italia.

“Out of nowhere, they were sold and some good players arrived, but they needed time to develop. There was blowback because of that, maybe the more experienced players were lacking reference points and didn't help the new lads to 100 per cent settle in to Roma."

He added: "I don't think they'll be able to challenge for a Champions League place straight away, but Roma must learn to become a stable figure in Europe and then, if the right season comes along when everything goes your way, you can get back into the Champions League."