Claudio Ranieri returns to Roma. © ANSA / SIMONE ARVEDA / FTJ

“A tough nut to crack”: Ranieri returns to Roma

The Italian first division football club AS Roma has brought coach Claudio Ranieri back to his hometown until the end of the season after a five-year break.

14 November 2024

From: dpa

The club officially confirmed the signing on Thursday after several Italian newspapers had already reported on it. "Welcome home, mister," it said on the club's homepage.

The 73-year-old is to lead the current XNUMXth-placed team in Serie A, which has significantly higher expectations, back into the top group. As an advisor to the management - another title - Ranieri is to be responsible for "all sporting matters of the club". This also includes the search for a successor.

Ranieri played for Roma himself in the 1973/74 season and has coached the almost 2009-year-old traditional club twice: from 2011 to 2019 and in 2. He managed to finish as runner-up. He is now replacing the Croatian Ivan Juric, who was released at the weekend after a 3-XNUMX home defeat against FC Bologna. Other stops in his coaching career include Juventus, Chelsea and Atletico Madrid.

chaos season

Roma had started the season with the Italian Daniele De Rossi, who had replaced the Portuguese star coach Jose Mourinho in January. The Roman newspapers celebrated Ranieri's appointment.

The newspaper "La Repubblica" even printed a map with his most important stops in the Italian capital - from the district where he was born to where he lives. Ranieri himself said he had a "tough nut" to crack. But that was also why he was chosen.