Claudio Ranieri appointed caretaker manager of Roma
AS Roma have appointed Claudio Ranieri as caretaker manager until the 30th of June 2019.
The experienced Italian has replaced Eusebio Di Francesco, who was sacked on Thursday following the Serie A club’s Champions League exit against Porto.
Ranieri, 67, was sacked by Fulham last week, after three wins in 17 games in charge left the club set for relegation from the Premier League, but revealed how a return to the Italian capital proved irresistible.
“I’m delighted to be coming back home,” Ranieri said.”When Roma call you, it’s impossible to say no.”
This will be the Ranieri’s second stint at the helm of the club he supported as a child, after an 18-month spell as head coach from 2009 to 2011. On that occasion Ranieri steered Roma to a second-place finish in the league, coming close to winning the title in the process.
“Claudio’s from the city, he’s a Roma fan but more than that, he’s one of the most experienced coaches in world football,” said Roma director Francesco Totti.
“What we need now is a safe pair of hands to guide us back into the top four and ensure that we are playing Champions League football again next season. We have 12 games left and we need to win as many of them as possible.”
“We are delighted to welcome Claudio Ranieri back to the club,” said AS Roma President Jim Pallotta.
“We have one objective remaining this season and that is to finish in the highest possible league position and secure qualification for the Champions League.
“At this stage of the campaign, it was important to bring in a coach who knows the club, understands the environment, can speak the language and is able to motivate the players. Claudio ticks all of those boxes and he’s very excited to take on this challenge.”
Since his last spell in the Italian capital, Ranieri has managed sides including Monaco, Nantes and most Fulham. He also had a spell in international management with Greece – while he is undoubtedly most famous among football fans for overseeing Leicester City’s incredible Premier League title success in 2016.
Ranieri’s first game back in charge will be Roma’s league encounter against Empoli at the Stadio Olimpico on Monday evening.
