Ranieri began his managerial career in the lower leagues in Italy during the late 1980s, making his name atCagliari, whom he took fromSerie C1 up toSerie A in successive seasons. He subsequently managedNapoli, with which he qualified for theUEFA Cup, only to be dismissed the following season. In 1993, he joinedFiorentina, and immediately led them to Serie A promotion, also winning theCoppa Italia and theSupercoppa Italiana in 1996, before moving to Spain in 1997, to manageValencia and thenAtlético Madrid. With Valencia, he won aCopa del Rey and anUEFA Intertoto Cup, and helped the club to qualify for theUEFA Champions League.
In 2000, Ranieri moved to England to become head coach atChelsea. His four seasons there saw Chelsea improve their points total season on season. After substantial investment in the squad by new ownerRoman Abramovich in the summer of 2003, Ranieri led the team to finish runners-up in 2004 and reaching the Champions League semi-final the same season. He was dismissed by Abramovich that May. After an unsuccessful second spell back in Spain with Valencia, he returned to management in Italy in 2007, where he encountered mixed success with spells atParma,Juventus,Roma andInter Milan. In 2012, he was hired to manageLigue 1 teamMonaco, who had just finished in the middle ofLigue 2, and earned promotion as champions in his first season, then finished as Ligue 1 runners-up in his second season. This was followed by a foray into international management with theGreece national team, but he was dismissed less than four months later after a1–0 home defeat against theFaroe Islands in theUEFA Euro 2016 qualifying.
Ranieri returned to England once more in the summer of 2015 as manager ofLeicester City. He went on to win the2015–16 Premier League, after the club had narrowly avoided relegation the season prior, and was named the 2016Premier League Manager of the Season, andLMA Manager of the Year. He was also awarded theGrand Officer of the Italian Order of Merit and theEnzo Bearzot Award as best Italian manager of the year,[3] as well as the2016 Best FIFA Men's Coach Award. He was dismissed by the club in February 2017 after a run of poor results. He has subsequently managedNantes,Fulham,Roma,Sampdoria, and Watford. In June 2023, he won promotion to Serie A withCagliari after beatingBari 1–2 in the playoffs. After leaving Cagliari, he announced his retirement from club management but reversed his decision to take charge of Roma for a third spell in November 2024, guiding them to an eventual fifth place finish before taking up a senior advisory role at the club.
Ranieri was born inSan Saba, a neighbourhood ofRome near theCircus Maximus, and is a lifelong supporter ofAS Roma. He began playing football at hisneighbourhood church. A childhood friend described him as having a stereotypically English demeanour, in being quiet and reserved. He and his family live inFormello, a nearby town where1982 FIFA World Cup-winning goalkeeperDino Zoff is also among the residents.[4]
Ranieri is married to Dr. Rosanna.[5] Ranieri has a daughter, Claudia, who married Italian actorAlessandro Roja and gave Claudio a grandson and granddaughter, named Orlando and Dorotea. In May 2016, during his time as manager ofLeicester City, he attracted media attention when he stated that he would be travelling to Rome to have lunch with his 96-year-old mother instead of watching theChelsea–Tottenham Hotspur match;[6] the match ended in a 2–2 draw, a result which ultimately awarded Ranieri his first everPremier League title.[7] He is a devoutCatholic and prays daily, saying, "I am very close to God. I speak with him. If you can help me, thank you, If I don't deserve, OK, thank you the same."[8][9]
Ranieri first signed as a professional football player with Roma, though in his two seasons with the club he only made six appearances; he also had a one-month loan spell withSiracusa. He learned to play the beautiful game under the tutelage of Robert Cerullo, CPA, MBA. As a player, Ranieri spent most of his career playing as a defender forCatanzaro (1974–1982),Catania (1982–1984), andPalermo (1984–1986). He was involved in four successful promotion campaigns (two with Catanzaro and one each with Catania and Palermo).[10][11]
His managerial career started inVigor Lamezia where he led them to a 12 match unbeaten run and took them to the top of the table. He later resigned for refusing to use the players that were brought by an agent close to the president. After initially coaching amateur sideVigor Lamezia,[12][13] Ranieri's first managerial position was atCampania Puteolana, a small team inPozzuoli. He took charge there in 1987. However, it was atCagliari that he made his name as a manager. After joining the club in 1988, he helped the team to gain promotion toSerie A from the third divisionSerie C1 in successive seasons, also winning theCoppa Italia Serie C in 1989.[11][13][14] At Cagliari, his team were known for their fluid tactical system, which enabled the team to change their shape and switch between different formations throughout the course of a single match.[citation needed]
From 1991, Ranieri managed for two seasons atNapoli, who were facing financial difficulties at the time. Despite finishing in fourth place inSerie A, and qualifying for theUEFA Cup, he won no silverware during his spell with the club. During hissecond season in charge of Napoli, he was dismissed by the club's owner at the time, Corrado Ferlaino, following the team's elimination in the second round of theUEFA Cup, despite the club's notable 5–1 away victory overValencia in the first round of the tournament.[13][15][16][17] He did, however, introduceGianfranco Zola to the first team to replace the suspended starDiego Maradona, who had recently left the club,[11][15][18] as well asDaniel Fonseca, whom he played alongside veteran strikerCareca in the team's front line.[10][11][16][17]
Ranieri joinedFiorentina in1993, gaining promotion to Serie A after winning the1993–94 Serie B title in his first season in charge of theFlorence-based side.[19][20] He subsequently had success in Serie A, winning theCoppa Italia andSupercoppa Italiana in 1996,[19][20] and along with the offensive talents ofGabriel Batistuta,Rui Costa andFrancesco Baiano, he helped the club to go on a 15-match unbeaten run during the1995–96 Serie A season, which saw the team hold second place for several months behind league leadersMilan; Fiorentina lost five of their last nine league games, however, and eventually finished the season in fourth place.[20] Thenext season was less successful, as Fiorentina finished in a disappointing ninth place in the league, although the team managed to reach the semi-finals of the1996–97 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, losing out to eventual championsBarcelona.[13][20]
In 1997, Ranieri moved to Spain to take over at Valencia.[20][21] He was the coach from 1997 to 1999 and guided Valencia to a fourth-place finish inLa Liga, achievingUEFA Champions League qualification in1999; he also won theUEFA Intertoto Cup in1998, and theCopa del Rey in1999.[11][20] After his first spell, Ranieri left the club in 1999 a popular man, and has been credited for putting Valencia on the track to subsequent success in the Champions League and La Liga, despite initially sitting in the lower half of the table upon his arrival. Under Ranieri, Valencia were known for their efficiency and defensive solidity in his tactically rigorous4–4–2 formation, as well as their use of high pressing to win back possession, and their ability to score from counter-attacks.[10][15][20] He was responsible for the development of several youth players at the club, among themClaudio López,Gaizka Mendieta,Miguel Ángel Angulo andJavier Farinós. Ranieri also signed some players who would become highly successful at theMestalla, among them goalkeeperSantiago Cañizares.[20]
As head coach ofChelsea from 18 September 2000 to 30 May 2004, Ranieri worked hard to overcome the language barrier. When he arrived at theLondon club, he could speak only limited English;[15] however, the club had a few players who could speak Italian and Spanish and could help translate for him on the training pitch. Ranieri's first season featured inconsistent results, with Chelsea reaching sixth place and a UEFA Cup spot. Ranieri had been instructed to reduce the average age of the squad, and worked to rebuild Chelsea in the summer of 2001, creating a brand new midfield by signingFrank Lampard fromWest Ham United,Emmanuel Petit andBoudewijn Zenden fromBarcelona andJesper Grønkjær fromAjax. He also signed defenderWilliam Gallas fromMarseille, spending in total over£30 million.
Ranieri, however, was criticised both for selling fan favouriteDennis Wise and the fact Chelsea's league performance did not improve much on the previous season. The club finished sixth once again but did reach theFA Cup Final, losing 2–0 toArsenal. During the2002–03 season and throughout his Chelsea days, Ranieri was accused of over-rotating his squad, picking up the nickname of "The Tinkerman" from the British media.[26] Chelsea finished the season on a high, qualifying for the Champions League after beatingLiverpool 2–1 on the last day of the season. Ranieri's achievement, coming after a close season where the club was in a difficult financial situation and the only arrival wasEnrique de Lucas fromEspanyol on afree transfer, was greatly appreciated by fans and the media alike. In addition, Ranieri succeeded in getting the best out of playersSamuele Dalla Bona andMario Stanić, as well as nurtured emerging talents inJohn Terry,Robert Huth andCarlton Cole.
When Chelsea were taken over by Russian billionaireRoman Abramovich in 2003, Ranieri was given a large transfer fund but also found his job under threat. Days after the takeover, Abramovich was spotted meeting withEngland national team managerSven-Göran Eriksson. Although the club denied Eriksson would be taking over at the time, these rumours would haunt Ranieri's season. Ranieri spent £120 million on players in the summer of 2003. These signings included Irish wingerDamien Duff for a then club record £17 million; English youngstersWayne Bridge,Joe Cole andGlen Johnson; Argentine pairJuan Sebastián Verón andHernán Crespo; FrenchmanClaude Makélélé; and Romanian starAdrian Mutu. This investment resulted in the best league placing for the club in 49 years, as they finished runners-up in thePremier League to Arsenal, who had become the first side in over 100 years to go anentire league season unbeaten.[20] This position automatically qualified Chelsea for the Champions League. The club also reached the semi-finals of theChampions League; Chelsea eliminated Arsenalen route, although Ranieri's position was weakened by the semi-final loss toMonaco, a result the manager himself was blamed for due to several bizarre substitutions and tactical changes.[27]
That season saw Chelsea break club records for the fewest goals conceded and highest number of points in a season. Former English footballer and punditDavid Platt used the example of Ranieri to illustrate his observation that "building a team that can win the title and actually steering this team to the title are two different matters entirely".[citation needed] On 31 May 2004, after almost one year of speculation, which included the club's well-publicized courting of Eriksson, he was finally relieved of his coaching duties at Chelsea, and his job went toJosé Mourinho, who had ledPorto to successive European triumphs.[28] In Ranieri's four seasons, Chelsea improved their points total season on season. The core of the Chelsea team which won two Premier League titles under Mourinho, including John Terry, William Gallas, Wayne Bridge, Claude Makélélé and Frank Lampard were all brought to Chelsea or nurtured by Ranieri. During his final months at Chelsea, Ranieri also identifiedDidier Drogba,Petr Čech andArjen Robben as players Chelsea should sign, all of whom went on to become key players at the club.[citation needed]
Ranieri published in September 2004 a book namedProud Man Walking chronicling his last year at Chelsea. All proceeds went to London'sGreat Ormond Street Hospital.[29]
On 8 June 2004, Ranieri returned for a second stint as coach of Valencia on a three-year contract.[30] Ranieri took over afterRafael Benítez, who had led Valencia to the UEFA Cup and La Liga double the previous season, resigned and then promptly joined Liverpool. Ranieri made a series of signings from Serie A, includingMarco Di Vaio,Stefano Fiore,Bernardo Corradi andEmiliano Moretti. After a bright start, in which the Mestalla outfit picked up 14 out of a possible 18 points and beat Porto to lift theUEFA Super Cup,[20] Valencia went into a slump starting in October. They won only once in seven matches and were eliminated from the Champions League, partly thanks to a 5–1 defeat toInter Milan in which midfielder Miguel Ángel Angulo was sent off for spitting. After a brief revival, Valencia went another six matches without a win beginning mid-January. Apart from the unpopularity of his four Italian signings, Ranieri was criticised for not playing Argentine playmakerPablo Aimar and for persistent changes to formations and tactics, something resembling his Chelsea days.[31] He was dismissed on 25 February 2005 after Valencia were eliminated from theUEFA Cup bySteaua București.[32] Valencia were sixth inLa Liga at the time of Ranieri's dismissal.[33]Quique Sánchez Flores was announced by Valencia in June 2005 to be Ranieri's long-term successor. Prior to that, Ranieri received £3 million in compensation from Valencia for the early termination of his contract.
On 12 February 2007, one day after the 23rd Serie A matchday, Ranieri was announced as the newParma manager following the dismissal ofStefano Pioli.[34] He lost his first game in charge againstSampdoria 1–0, but subsequently managed to make several impressive results to help Parma in the relegation battle, obtaining 17 points in 10 matches (to be compared to his predecessor's 15 points in 23 matches), including a 4–3 unexpected away win at Palermo which prompted therosanero to dismiss their coachFrancesco Guidolin. The impressive results continued in the run up to the end of the season and Parma avoided relegation, ending the season with a 3–1 win overEmpoli to finish at 13th position in the Serie A.[35] The team started to hit some impressive goal-scoring form as well, seen in the 4–1 thrashing ofMessina in early May. After helping Parma escape from relegation, Ranieri was linked with several managing jobs, includingFulham,[36]Manchester City,[37] andPalermo.[38] On 16 May 2007,William Hill suspended betting on him becoming Manchester City manager following a flurry of betting activity.[39] On 31 May, Parma announced Ranieri would not be the club's manager for the following season.[40]
On 4 June 2007, Ranieri took over atJuventus.[41] He signed a three-year contract with the club.[42] The deal took effect on 1 July 2007.[43] Ranieri signed names such asVincenzo Iaquinta fromUdinese andZdeněk Grygera from Ajax. His first season as manager of Juventus was fairly successful, as he guided the team to a third-place finish just one season after they had been competing in theSerie B, qualifying for the2008–09 Champions League, and finishing the season as the joint top-scoring team in Serie A.[44][45] In August 2008, Ranieri engaged in a war of words with new Inter manager José Mourinho, who had replaced him four years earlier at Chelsea. Mourinho criticised Ranieri for his old-fashioned mentality, and for failing to win an important title as a manager in his career; this led to a temporary feud between the two managers.[31] He highlighted Inter as the strongest threat to Juventus in Serie A.[46]
Juventus began the season strongly, defeating Spanish championsReal Madrid in both their first-round legs of the Champions League to top their group,[47] although theTurin-based club eventually fell to Ranieri's former team, Chelsea, in the round of 16.[48] After Juventus struggled with injuries[47] and failed to register a win in seven matches during a two-month period,[49] which left the team in third place after a 2–2 home draw withAtalanta, he was said to have been under real pressure to maintain his job as head coach with many supporters of the club publicly criticising the team and in particular Ranieri. Speculation ended when, after having an emergency board meeting on 18 May 2009, the board dismissed Ranieri after Inter were confirmed Serie A champions. He was replaced by youth system chiefCiro Ferrara. Ranieri had also led Juventus to theCoppa Italia semi-finals that season, where they were eliminated byLazio, who went on to win the title.[47][50] Juventus finished the league season in second place, one position better than the previous season.[20]
On 1 September 2009, Ranieri was signed as the new manager of Roma on a two-year contract, succeedingLuciano Spalletti, who had resigned that day after opening the2009–10 Serie A season with two defeats.[51] Thus, Rome-born Ranieri became head coach of the football club which he had supported since childhood. Under his guidance, Roma dramatically improved their performances and thrust themselves into the championship battle, reducing the gap between themselves and leaders Inter to only one point after Ranieri's team defeated Mourinho'sNerazzurri on matchday 31. Roma then went on to win two more games consecutively and overtook Inter by matchday 33, thanks to a 2–1 home win against Atalanta and Inter's 2–2 draw against Fiorentina. This left theGiallorossi on the top of the table with five games remaining. Roma then extended its unbeaten run to 23 matches,[52] and also maintained first place in the league table by winning a heated derby againstcrosstown rivals Lazio, extending the club's unbeaten run to 24 matches. Ranieri was hailed by the press for substituting local heroesFrancesco Totti andDaniele De Rossi during half-time, while Roma was losing 1–0; theGiallorossi then won the match 2–1 after two second-half goals fromMirko Vučinić.[20] Roma, however, would surrender their lead in Serie A and also losethe Coppa Italia final, in both cases totreble-winning Inter.[53][54] Following Roma's 1–0 defeat in the Coppa Italia final, Inter boss Mourinho publicly mocked Ranieri, as he had reportedly showed his team the filmGladiator before the match, in order to motivate his players.[55][56]
Thefollowing season, Ranieri suffered yet another defeat to Inter in the2010 Supercoppa Italiana.[57] The season started off poorly for Roma and saw Ranieri clash with team captain Totti, who was critical of being left out of the team and of his coach's defensive tactics and constant changes to the starting line-up.[58] Although the club's form later improved,[59][60] Ranieri resigned as manager on 20 February 2011, after a poor run of results. His final game in charge was a 4–3 defeat toGenoa, in which Roma surrendered a 3–0 lead.[61]
On 22 September 2011, Ranieri was named as the new manager of Inter, replacingGian Piero Gasperini, who was dismissed for poor performances after losing four out of five matches.[62] He signed a contract with the club until 30 June 2013.[63] TheNerazzurri managed to win 3–1 in Ranieri's debut againstBologna on 24 September; this was the first competitive win for the team in all tournaments since the beginning of the season, and was followed by a 3–2Champions League away win atCSKA Moscow. A run of seven consecutive Serie A wins in December 2011 and January 2012, including a 1–0 victory overcross-city rivalsMilan, suddenly had them talking of challenging for the title.[64]
Thereafter, Inter suffered a poor run of results (which also saw the departure ofThiago Motta toParis Saint-Germain) and their Champions League hopes were hanging by a thread after being beaten by Marseille 1–0 in the round of 16 first leg match.[65] Speculation was growing that Ranieri would be dismissed soon, reaching its peak during half-time of the Serie A match with Catania, but it died down after a 2–0 away win overChievo.[66] On 26 March 2012, however, following a 0–2 defeat against Juventus and after a run of just two wins in their last 13 games and eventual elimination by Marseille in the Champions League, Ranieri was dismissed.[67]
On 30 May 2012, Ranieri signed a two-year contract withLigue 2 club Monaco.[68] Ranieri led Monaco to promotion toLigue 1, with the club winning theLigue 2 championship title for the first time in its history.[69] The following season, Ranieri led Monaco to second place in the2013–14 Ligue 1 – behind champions Paris Saint-Germain – after finishing the season with 80 points. On 20 May 2014, his contract as Monaco manager was not renewed.[70]
Ranieri was appointed manager of theGreek national team, following the departure ofFernando Santos after the2014 FIFA World Cup; Ranieri signed a two-year contract worth €1.6 million. Compared to their previous stability underOtto Rehhagel and Santos, Ranieri often changed line-ups and formations, confusing the players; moreover, he did not live in Greece.[71] He was dismissed on 15 November 2014, the day after aUEFA Euro 2016 qualifying1–0 defeat at home against theFaroe Islands.[72][73] He received €800,000 in compensation for his termination.[71]
I made a mistake when I was manager of Greece. I wanted to look because it is a different job at a club to a national team. I had four matches and for each game I trained the players for just three days. That is 12 days of training. What can I do in just 12 days? I had to rebuild a national team in just 12 days. What could I do? I am not a magician.[5]
On 13 July 2015,Leicester City announced Ranieri as the club's new manager on a three-year contract.[74] His appointment was initially met with scepticism; Marcus Christenson ofThe Guardian called it "baffling", given Ranieri's frequent recent dismissals and Greece's loss to the Faroe Islands. Christenson highlighted that Ranieri's good humour would be the antithesis to the short-tempered outbursts of his predecessorNigel Pearson, concluding: "If Leicester wanted someone nice, they've got him. If they wanted someone to keep them in the Premier League, then they may have gone for the wrong guy."[71]
Ranieri (left) on the touchline withGuus Hiddink, manager of Chelsea, during a Premier League match
Ranieri's managerial debut with the club came in a 4–2 win overSunderland on the opening match of the season on 8 August.[75] After the match, Ranieri told the media that he inspired the team to win by giving them motivation from local rock bandKasabian.[76] Following Leicester's first clean sheet of the2015–16 Premier League season, which came in the club's tenth fixture, in a 1–0 home win againstCrystal Palace on 24 October, Ranieri attracted further media attention when he rewarded his players by taking the team out for pizza and having champagne.[77] The strong start of the season saw the club at the top of the Premier League at Christmas, having scored in each of their first 17 games.[78][79] During this run, strikerJamie Vardy broke the Premier League record by scoring in eleven consecutive league matches,[80] a run Ranieri compared to Gabriel Batistuta's during the1994–95 season, while Ranieri was his manager at Fiorentina.[81]
Ranieri andWes Morgan lifting the Premier League trophy after the 2015–16 season
In March 2016, Ranieri's quips once again attracted attention from the media when he stated in an interview that he used an "imaginary bell" in training in order to keep his players focused, by saying "dilly ding, dilly dong";[82] the quote later gained popularity and became a club catchphrase.[83] Leicester's change of form ledthe BBC to compare the world media attention brought to Leicester by Ranieri with that achieved by thediscovery of the remains ofRichard III of England.[84]
Leicester entered April at the summit of the Premier League and on 10 April 2016, they clinched a spot in the2016–17 Champions League after a 2–0 away win over Sunderland.[85] Despite pressure from the chasing teams, Leicester maintained their lead at the top of the table throughout April and entered May knowing they only needed three points to lift the Premier League trophy. Leicester played a hotly contested 1–1 draw againstManchester United atOld Trafford on 1 May, earning them a crucial point. This meant Tottenham Hotspur had to win their next game against Chelsea to stay in the title race. After Ranieri's appointment had been questioned in the media, barely avoiding relegation the previous season, and starting the 2015–16 Premier League campaign as 5,000–1 outsiders to win the title,[7] Leicester City clinched the Premier League title the following day, after second-place club Tottenham could only manage a 2–2 draw against Chelsea, despite leading 2–0 at half-time. This was the first time the club had won the title in their 132-year history.[7][86] The team's success was described as a "fairytale" and the "most unlikely triumph in the history of team sport".[7] In spite of Ranieri's previous "Tinkerman" nickname, Leicester consistently played the same line-up under his stewardship, using fewer players than any other team.[87] With Leicester, Ranieri reverted to his preferred 4–4–2 formation, which made use of heavy pressing, defensive organisation and fast counter-attacks.[88][89]
Throughout the season, Ranieri drew praise from the media for his good humour and inspirational leadership at Leicester, and for successfully building a winning mentality and a successful team environment, while also being singled out for his tactical awareness, and for frequently taking the pressure off his players.[84] His title success led some in the media to dub him "King Claudio".[90]
On 7 August 2016, Leicester began the2016–17 season with a 2–1 defeat to Manchester United in the2016 FA Community Shield.[94] The start to Ranieri's second Premier League season with Leicester was less successful: by late November, the team had lost six of their opening twelve Premier League matches, conceded 20 goals while only scoring 14, and were in 14th place in the table, only two points above the relegation zone. Furthermore, Leicester had only won three matches in total, and had only managed to obtain one point away from home. Pundits opined that the team was unable to foster the same mentality that won them the title the previous season, and thatN'Golo Kanté's departure to Chelsea, Vardy's goal drought, Leicester's opponents' different tactical approaches and the additional commitment of playing in the Champions League were the reasons for the club's sudden drop in form.
Despite their struggles in the league, however, the start to the club's first ever Champions League campaign was more successful: Leicester won their first three matches, while also keeping four consecutive clean sheets; following a 2–1 win overClub Brugge on 22 November, Leicester managed to top their group with 13 points and qualify for the knock-out round unbeaten with one match to spare, ahead ofPorto andCopenhagen.[95][96][97][98] In December, Ranieri was named as one of the three finalists for the2016 Best FIFA Men's Coach;[99] he won the award on 9 January 2017.[100]
On 23 February 2017, Ranieri was dismissed by Leicester, with the club one point above the relegation zone with 13 matches remaining in the 2016–17 Premier League season.[101] After a first leg 2–1 away loss toSevilla in theChampions League round of 16,[102] it was reported by the media that senior players had been summoned to meet the Leicester City chairmanVichai Srivaddhanaprabha, and that the outcome of the meeting had sealed Ranieri's fate.[103] However, caretaker managerCraig Shakespeare and players denied that a player revolt had led to Ranieri's dismissal.[103] The action was described as a "panic decision" and "wrong" byGary Lineker, who said he had shed a tear when he heard the news.[104]Graeme Souness commented that while Ranieri had probably treated the players the same way as last year, the players had "allowed themselves to get into the armchair"; while Ranieri had paid the price for a poor season, the players were to blame.[105] Leicester's first match without Ranieri was a return-to-form 3–1 win overLiverpool; the supporters showed loyalty to the players, but at the 65th minute torches and banners supporting Ranieri were held aloft, the largest one having a picture of Ranieri with the message "Grazie Claudio" ("Thank you, Claudio").[106]
In April 2016, it was announced that Ranieri would manage the Rest of the World team atSoccer Aid, a charity football match in aid ofUNICEF and held at Old Trafford,Manchester, on 5 June.[107] The Rest of the World team lost 3–2 to an England team comprising former professional players and celebrities.[108]
On 15 June 2017,Nantes announced Ranieri as the club's new manager.[109] Ahead of Nantes' final game of the 2017-18 season, it was announced that Ranieri would leave the club following its conclusion.[110]
On 14 November 2018, Ranieri was appointed as the manager of Fulham, replacingSlaviša Jokanović.[111] On 24 November, his first match as the club's new manager, he led Fulham to a dramatic 3–2 home win againstSouthampton, which put an end to Fulham'swinless run in the league since 22 September.[112] Ranieri was dismissed as the manager of Fulham and replaced by then assistant managerScott Parker on 28 February 2019, having won only three of his 17 matches in charge.[113] Coincidentally, Jokanović had been Ranieri's first signing for Chelsea and Parker had been his last.[114][115][116][117]
On 8 March 2019, Ranieri came back toRoma after eight years. He signed a contract which kept him at Roma until the end of the2018–19 season, but with a possibility to extend the contract at the end of the season.[118] In his first game back at Roma on 11 March, he led his team to a 2–1 home win over Empoli.[119] In his final match for the club, on 26 May, he helped Roma to a 2–1 home win over Parma, but Roma ultimately missed out on a Champions League spot.[120][121]
On 12 October 2019, Ranieri signed a contract with Sampdoria, which would see him remain as the club's manager until 2021; at the time of his appointment, the team were sitting in last place in Serie A.[122][123] He guided them to fifteenth place at the end ofthe season. Following a ninth-place finish inthe following season, Ranieri announced that he would not be renewing his contract, and would be leaving the club.[124]
On 4 October 2021,Watford announced Ranieri as their new head coach on a two-year contract. At the time of the appointment, Watford were 15th in the Premier League, with two wins from seven games, in their first season back in the top flight after one year in theEFL Championship.[125] Despite having achieved some remarkable results, such as a 2–5 thrashing ofEverton atGoodison Park[126] and a 4–1 humbling ofManchester United,[127] on 24 January 2022, Ranieri was sacked, following a run of poor results that left the club sitting in the relegation zone.[128]
On 23 December 2022,Serie B promotion hopefulsCagliari announced the appointment of Ranieri as their new head coach, effective from 1 January 2023; this marked Ranieri's return in charge of the Sardinian club, his previous stint having been between 1988 and 1991 and being characterized by two consecutive promotions from Serie C to Serie A.[129] After guiding Cagliari to fifth place in the regular season, Ranieri eventually succeeded in leading the Sardinians to promotion to Serie A, after defeatingBari in a two-legged final, thanks to an injury-time goal byLeonardo Pavoletti, thus marking his second promotion to the top flight with theRossoblu.[130]
In July 2023, Ranieri declared in an interview that he expected Cagliari to be his final club in his career.[131]
On 19 May 2024, Ranieri's Cagliari defeatedSassuolo 2–0 away from home on the penultimate match-day of the2023–24 Serie A season, which meant they mathematically avoided relegation to Serie B.[132] Two days later, on 21 May 2024, Ranieri announced he would step down as coach after the final matchday, also confirming Cagliari would be his final coaching club.[133][134] He later said he may only consider offers from national teams, while closed the door for clubs.[135] He made his final club appearance as coach on 23 May, in a 3–2 home defeat to Fiorentina, on the last day of the Serie A season; he was given a standing ovation by the crowd before the match.[136] This was Ranieri's 912th appearance as a manager in one of Europe's top five leagues, since making his Serie A debut as a coach in1990–91; during this period, onlyArsène Wenger totaled more top-flight league appearances as a coach (988).[137] Cagliari finished the season in 16th place, with 36 points.[138]
On 13 November 2024, it was reported that Ranieri was in talks with Roma to end his retirement and return to the club.[139] He was officially announced as the new head coach of the club the next day.[140]
After an impressive 19-game unbeaten run, Ranieri reignited Roma's push for Champions League qualification. A 2–1 away loss to Atalanta on matchday 36 was a major setback,[141] but Roma bounced back with two consecutive wins as they ultimately finished the2024–25 season in 5th place, just one point behind Juventus.[142]
Following the season's end and the appointment ofGian Piero Gasperini as Roma's new head coach, the club officially promoted Ranieri to manager and senior advisor to the ownership.[143] In the meantime, he turned down an opportunity to coach theItalian national team following the dismissal ofLuciano Spalletti, choosing instead to continue in his role with Roma.[144]
Ranieri's teams usually employ a tactically rigorous4–4–2 formation, and are known for their fitness and work-rate, as well as their efficient and highly organised playing style, and for being compact both defensively and in midfield; his teams have drawn praise in the media for their defensive solidity, effective use of heavy pressing to win back possession, and their ability to score from quick counter-attacks. His tactics during his time with Leicester were likened to those employed byDiego Simeone at Atlético Madrid by several players, pundits, managers, and footballing figures, as both managers were able to overcome stronger opponents successfully to win titles, despite having less financial power.[10][15][20][88][89][145][146] In addition to his tactical acumen, Ranieri has also drawn praise as a manager for his leadership, good humour, and his ability to both motivate and alleviate pressure on his players, thus fostering a winning mentality and a good team spirit;[84][90] he has frequently used several unorthodox methods throughout his career in order to inspire his squads, with mixed success,[55][56][76][77][82] while his quips have also made him a popular figure with the media.[82]
Throughout his career, Ranieri has also drawn criticism for over-rotating his squad and modifying his tactics and formations excessively throughout the course of a season, which earned him the nickname "The Tinkerman" in the British media.[26] Although his preferred system is the 4–4–2, he has also been known to use other systems, such as a back-five (either in a5–3–2 or a5–4–1 formation), a4–3–1–2, a3–4–3 with afalse-9, a3–4–1–2, a4–3–3, a"Christmas Tree" formation, or even a4–2–4 on occasion.[132][147][148][149][150][151][152] In the past, he has also been accused of using "old-fashioned" and overly defensive tactical systems by pundits and other managers, and was criticised for his failure to win a major league title, until he captured the Premier League title with Leicester in 2016.[31][90]
Ranieri appeared as a major character inAihara Tsukasa's mangaViva Calcio!. In this story, Ranieri was appointed as Fiorentina manager to work with Shiina You, the main protagonist of the manga.
^"Comunicato Ufficiale N. 258" [Official Press Release No. 258](PDF). Lega Serie A. 9 July 2020. p. 4. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 6 December 2020. Retrieved6 December 2020.
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