Juventus still believe they can regain the pinnacle of Italian soccer in their first season back in Serie A after the Calciopoli-enforced purgatory of Serie B.
''You get results when you aim high and I'll keep on believing we can get the scudetto until we're mathematically excluded,'' Juve boss told La Gazzetta dello Sport Thursday.
Juventus are third, 11 points behind holders and leaders Inter and seven adrift of second-placed Roma, but have a game in hand.
Assuming they win their suspended match against struggling Parma, the gap will drop to eight and four points respectively with seven games to go.
The top two's stuttering recent displays have given Juve fresh hope, Ranieri said.
''The best part of the season is just starting,'' said Ranieri, whose side travels to 13th-placed Palermo on Sunday night.
Juve won at Inter two weeks ago and are looking at an easier run-in than Inter provided they get past European champions Milan next week. Roma, however, are reckoned to have the easiest season-ending roster of the three.
Inter's lead has gone from 11 to four since mid-February amid an injury glut, Champions League elimination and doubts about coach Roberto Mancini's future.
Lucky to draw at Lazio last week, Inter travels to ninth-placed Atalanta with influential midfielder Esteban Cambiasso back from injury.
But top scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who has not netted from open play in months, is still carrying the knee problem that has cramped him since Christmas.
Roma host 15th-placed Catania in the Saturday tea-time fixture with Francesco Totti a virtually certain absentee as he fights to come back from injury to help turn around a 0-2 deficit in the Champions League quarter-finals against Manchester United.
Milan, which has dropped four points adrift of the last Champions League berth in sixth, entertain 18th-placed Cagliari in the late Saturday fixture.
Last week's loss to Atalanta was their fourth home defeat of the season but Milan have said Carlo Ancelotti's job is not under threat even if they only qualify for the UEFA Cup.
Fourth-placed Fiorentina, which is three points above Udinese, host 17th-placed Livorno on Sunday.
Udinese travel to 12th-placed Siena.
