November 15 – There was only one club Claudio Ranieri would have come out of retirement for. But it still caused widespread surprise when, at 73, he returned Thursday to his beloved Roma for a third spell in charge – and the club’s third coach of a troubled season.
Roma said that Ranieri has signed a deal until the end of the season and will then “transition into a senior executive role, where he will be an adviser to the ownership on all sporting matters at the club”.
“The search for a future coach will proceed over the next months. Claudio will have input in that decision as well,” the club added.
Ranieri was mobbed by fans at Rome’s Fiumicino airport when he flew in following negotiations to replace Ivan Juric, who was hired in September after the dismissal of former club captain and idol Daniele De Rossi.
The hapless Juric was himself sacked after Sunday’s 3-2 home defeat at the hands of Bologna after just 12 matches in all competitions, leaving Roma – ironically – in 12th place, just four points above the relegation zone after a tumultuous start to the season.
Ranieri, who famously took Leicester City to the English Premier League title in 2016, had announced the end of his club management career after leading Cagliari to promotion from Serie B and then securing their top-flight status last season. But now he makes a brief comeback to help dig Roma out of a deepening crisis.
Not for the first time. He virtually did the same thing when replacing Eusebio Di Francesco in March 2019 for a two-month spell and helping to secure Europa League qualification.
Ranieri is held in great affection by his fellow Roma fans primarily for his first spell in charge which began a decade before that. He took over from Luciano Spalletti early in the 2009-10 season and led Roma on a thrilling league title challenge with Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan which went to the last day of the campaign. He also played for the Giallorossi during the 1973-74 campaign.
Ranieri certainly has a baptism of fire when his team travels to leaders Napoli after the international break but will hope to ease what has been a crisis-filled season for Roma’s American owners Dan and Ryan Friedkin.
Fans protested after De Rossi was fired after which then CEO and general manager Lina Souloukou quickly resigned when she was blamed by supporters for De Rossi’s departure.
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