Claudio Ranieri facts for kids
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Ranieri in 2023
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 20 October 1951 | ||
| Place of birth | Rome, Italy | ||
| Playing position | Defender | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Roma (head coach) | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1973–1974 | Roma | 6 | (0) |
| 1974–1982 | Catanzaro | 226 | (8) |
| 1982–1984 | Catania | 92 | (1) |
| 1984–1986 | Palermo | 40 | (0) |
| Total | 366 | (9) | |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1986–1987 | Vigor Lamezia | ||
| 1987–1988 | Puteolana | ||
| 1988–1991 | Cagliari | ||
| 1991–1993 | Napoli | ||
| 1993–1997 | Fiorentina | ||
| 1997–1999 | Valencia | ||
| 1999–2000 | Atlético Madrid | ||
| 2000–2004 | Chelsea | ||
| 2004–2005 | Valencia | ||
| 2007 | Parma | ||
| 2007–2009 | Juventus | ||
| 2009–2011 | Roma | ||
| 2011–2012 | Inter Milan | ||
| 2012–2014 | Monaco | ||
| 2014 | Greece | ||
| 2015–2017 | Leicester City | ||
| 2017–2018 | Nantes | ||
| 2018–2019 | Fulham | ||
| 2019 | Roma | ||
| 2019–2021 | Sampdoria | ||
| 2021–2022 | Watford | ||
| 2023–2024 | Cagliari | ||
| 2024– | Roma | ||
|
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Claudio Ranieri (born 20 October 1951) is an Italian professional football manager and former player. He is currently the head coach of the Serie A club Roma. He is famous for leading Leicester City to win the 2015–16 Premier League title. This win is seen as one of the biggest surprises in sports history.
Ranieri started his coaching career in Italy in the late 1980s. He became well-known at Cagliari, helping them move up from the third division to Serie A in just two seasons. He then coached Napoli and Fiorentina, where he won the Coppa Italia and the Supercoppa Italiana in 1996. After that, he moved to Spain to manage Valencia and Atlético Madrid. With Valencia, he won the Copa del Rey and the UEFA Intertoto Cup.
In 2000, Ranieri came to England to coach Chelsea. He helped Chelsea improve each season. After a lot of money was invested in the team, he led them to finish second in the league and reach the UEFA Champions League semi-finals in 2004. He later coached several Italian clubs like Parma, Juventus, Roma, and Inter Milan. In 2012, he took over Monaco in France, guiding them to promotion and then a second-place finish in the top league. He also briefly managed the Greek national team.
Ranieri returned to England in 2015 to manage Leicester City. He led them to win the 2015–16 Premier League title, even though they were expected to struggle. This amazing achievement earned him several awards, including the 2016 Best FIFA Men's Coach award. He has since managed other clubs like Nantes, Fulham, Roma, Sampdoria, and Watford. In 2023, he helped Cagliari get promoted to Serie A again.
Contents
About Claudio Ranieri
Claudio Ranieri was born in Rome, Italy. He has always been a big fan of the AS Roma football club. He started playing football at his local church. People who knew him as a child said he was quiet and calm. He is married to Dr. Rosanna and has a daughter named Claudia. In 2016, when Leicester City won the Premier League, Ranieri famously said he was going to have lunch with his 96-year-old mother instead of watching the match that decided the title. He is a religious person and prays every day.
Playing Career
Ranieri started his professional football career as a player for AS Roma. He played as a defender. He didn't play many games for Roma, but he spent most of his playing career with other Italian clubs. These included Catanzaro (1974–1982), Catania (1982–1984), and Palermo (1984–1986). He helped his teams get promoted to higher leagues four times during his playing days.
Managerial Career
Early Years in Italy
Ranieri's first coaching job was with an amateur team called Vigor Lamezia. His first professional coaching role was at Campania Puteolana. However, he truly made a name for himself at Cagliari. He joined Cagliari in 1988 and helped them get promoted from the third division to Serie A in back-to-back seasons. He also won the Coppa Italia Serie C in 1989. His Cagliari team was known for being flexible with their tactics.
From 1991, Ranieri managed Napoli for two seasons. The club was having money problems at the time. He helped them finish fourth in Serie A and qualify for the UEFA Cup. He didn't win any trophies with Napoli. During his time there, he helped young players like Gianfranco Zola become important for the team.
In 1993, Ranieri joined Fiorentina. In his first season, he led them to win the 1993–94 Serie B title, which meant promotion to Serie A. He then had success in Serie A, winning the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana in 1996. With talented players like Gabriel Batistuta, his team had a 15-match unbeaten run in the 1995–96 season.
First Time in Spain
In 1997, Ranieri moved to Spain to coach Valencia. He managed the team from 1997 to 1999. He guided Valencia to a fourth-place finish in La Liga, which meant they qualified for the UEFA Champions League. He also won the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 1998 and the Copa del Rey in 1999. Ranieri was popular when he left Valencia. He helped the club become strong for future successes. He was known for his team's strong defense and quick counter-attacks. He also helped develop young players like Gaizka Mendieta.
After Valencia, Ranieri coached Atlético Madrid in 1999. The team faced financial problems and struggled on the field. Ranieri resigned before he could be fired, as the team was close to being relegated. Atlético Madrid was indeed relegated at the end of that season.
Coaching Chelsea
Ranieri became the head coach of Chelsea in England in 2000. When he first arrived, he didn't speak much English. However, some players could translate for him. His first season had mixed results, with Chelsea finishing sixth. Ranieri worked to make the team younger. He signed important players like Frank Lampard and William Gallas.
During the 2002–03 season, Ranieri was often criticized for changing his team's lineup too much. This earned him the nickname "The Tinkerman" from the media. Despite this, Chelsea finished the season well, qualifying for the Champions League. Ranieri was praised for this achievement, especially since the club was in a difficult financial situation. He also helped young players like John Terry develop.
In 2003, a new owner, Roman Abramovich, took over Chelsea and gave Ranieri a lot of money to buy new players. Ranieri spent £120 million on players like Damien Duff, Joe Cole, and Claude Makélélé. This investment led to Chelsea finishing second in the Premier League, their best league finish in 49 years. They also reached the Champions League semi-finals. Even though Chelsea lost in the semi-finals, Ranieri's team set new club records for fewest goals conceded and most points in a season. He was replaced by José Mourinho in May 2004. Many players who became key to Chelsea's future success were brought in or developed by Ranieri.
Return to Valencia
In June 2004, Ranieri went back to coach Valencia for a second time. He signed several players from Italy. After a good start, Valencia's performance dropped. They were knocked out of the Champions League and later the UEFA Cup. Ranieri was criticized for his player choices and for changing tactics too often, similar to his time at Chelsea. He was fired in February 2005.
Coaching Parma
In February 2007, Ranieri became the new manager of Parma. He helped the team avoid being relegated from Serie A. Parma improved a lot under his leadership, earning many more points than before he arrived. After saving Parma from relegation, Ranieri left the club.
Coaching Juventus
On 4 June 2007, Ranieri took over at Juventus. In his first season, he led the team to a third-place finish in Serie A. This was impressive because Juventus had just been promoted from the second division. In 2008, Ranieri had a public disagreement with José Mourinho, who had replaced him at Chelsea. Juventus started the next season well, beating Real Madrid in the Champions League. However, after a period of poor results and injuries, Ranieri was dismissed in May 2009. Juventus finished the league season in second place.
Coaching Roma
On 1 September 2009, Ranieri became the new manager of Roma, the club he supported as a child. Under his guidance, Roma's performance improved greatly. They challenged for the league title, getting very close to leaders Inter Milan. Roma even won a big derby match against their rivals Lazio. Ranieri was praised for making brave changes during that game. However, Roma eventually lost both the Serie A title and the Coppa Italia final to Inter. Ranieri resigned in February 2011 after a series of bad results.
Coaching Inter Milan
On 22 September 2011, Ranieri was named the new manager of Inter Milan. Inter won his first game in charge and then had a good run of seven straight wins in Serie A. This made people think they could challenge for the title. However, Inter's form then dropped, and Ranieri was dismissed in March 2012.
Coaching Monaco
On 30 May 2012, Ranieri signed a two-year contract with Ligue 2 club Monaco in France. He led Monaco to win the Ligue 2 championship in his first season, earning promotion to the top league. The next season, Monaco finished second in Ligue 1, behind champions Paris Saint-Germain. His contract was not renewed in May 2014.
Greek National Team
Ranieri was appointed manager of the Greek national team in July 2014. He signed a two-year contract. However, his time with Greece was very short. He was dismissed in November 2014, just four months later, after a surprising 1–0 home defeat against the Faroe Islands. Ranieri later said that managing a national team was very different from a club, and he didn't have enough time to train the players.
Coaching Leicester City
First Season
On 13 July 2015, Leicester City announced Ranieri as their new manager. Many people were unsure about this choice because of his recent short jobs. However, Ranieri's time at Leicester turned out to be amazing.
His first game with Leicester was a 4–2 win over Sunderland. Ranieri famously told the media that he motivated his team with music from a local rock band. After Leicester's first clean sheet (a game where they didn't let the other team score), Ranieri rewarded his players by taking them out for pizza and champagne. Leicester had a fantastic start to the season and were at the top of the Premier League by Christmas. Their striker, Jamie Vardy, even broke a Premier League record by scoring in eleven games in a row.
In March 2016, Ranieri made headlines again when he said he used an "imaginary bell" in training to keep his players focused, saying "dilly ding, dilly dong." This phrase became very popular. Leicester's incredible performance brought a lot of attention from around the world.
Leicester stayed at the top of the Premier League in April. On 10 April 2016, they secured a spot in the Champions League for the next season. Leicester City then won the Premier League title on 2 May 2016. This happened after the second-place team, Tottenham Hotspur, drew their game against Chelsea. Leicester had been given 5,000–1 odds to win the title at the start of the season, making their victory a "fairytale" and one of the biggest upsets in sports history.
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Despite his old "Tinkerman" nickname, Ranieri mostly used the same players at Leicester. He used a 4–4–2 formation, focusing on strong defense and quick counter-attacks. Throughout the season, the media praised Ranieri for his good humor and inspiring leadership. He was called "King Claudio" by some. He won several awards, including the Premier League Manager of the Season and the LMA Manager of the Year.
Second Season
Ranieri's second season with Leicester City, in 2016–17, was more difficult in the league. By November, the team was struggling and close to the relegation zone. Many reasons were given for this, including the departure of a key player, N'Golo Kanté.
However, Leicester did very well in their first ever Champions League campaign. They won their first three matches and qualified for the knockout round with a game to spare. In December, Ranieri was named one of the top three coaches for the 2016 Best FIFA Men's Coach award, which he won in January 2017.
On 23 February 2017, Ranieri was dismissed by Leicester. The club was just one point above the relegation zone. Many people, including famous football figures, felt this was a wrong decision. Leicester's first match without Ranieri was a 3–1 win over Liverpool. During the game, fans showed their support for Ranieri with banners saying "Grazie Claudio" ("Thank you, Claudio").
Soccer Aid
In April 2016, it was announced that Ranieri would manage the Rest of the World team in Soccer Aid. This is a charity football match that raises money for UNICEF. The match was held in Manchester, and Ranieri's team lost 3–2 to an England team.
Later Club Roles
Ranieri continued his coaching career with several clubs:
- Nantes: He managed the French club Nantes from June 2017 to June 2018.
- Fulham: In November 2018, he became the manager of Fulham in England. He won only three of his 17 matches and was dismissed in February 2019.
- Return to Roma: In March 2019, Ranieri returned to Roma for a short period until the end of the 2018–19 season. He helped them win some games, but they missed out on a Champions League spot.
- Sampdoria: He signed with Sampdoria in October 2019, when they were in last place in Serie A. He guided them to fifteenth place and then ninth place the following season. He left the club in June 2021.
- Watford: In October 2021, Ranieri became the head coach of Watford in the Premier League. Despite some good wins, he was sacked in January 2022 after a series of poor results.
- Return to Cagliari: On 23 December 2022, Ranieri returned to Cagliari. This was his second time managing the club. He successfully led Cagliari to promotion to Serie A in 2023. In July 2023, Ranieri said he expected Cagliari to be his last club. He stepped down in May 2024 after ensuring Cagliari avoided relegation from Serie A.
- Second Return to Roma: In November 2024, Ranieri came out of retirement to become the head coach of Roma for a third time.
Style of Management
Ranieri's teams often use a 4–4–2 formation. They are known for being fit, working hard, and being well-organized. His teams are usually strong in defense and good at scoring goals from quick counter-attacks. His tactics at Leicester were compared to those of Diego Simeone at Atlético Madrid, as both managers helped their teams win titles against stronger opponents.
Besides his tactics, Ranieri is also praised for his leadership and good humor. He is good at motivating his players and taking pressure off them. He has used unusual methods to inspire his teams, and his funny comments have made him popular with the media.
However, Ranieri has also been criticized for changing his team's lineup and tactics too much, which is why he got the nickname "The Tinkerman." While the 4–4–2 is his favorite, he has used many other formations. Before his Leicester win, some people criticized him for not winning a major league title.
Managerial Statistics
| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | ||||
| Vigor Lamezia |  |
28 May 1986 | 9 June 1987 | 30 | 21 | 8 | 1 | 44 | 12 | +32 | 70.00 |
| Puteolana | |
10 June 1987 | 25 January 1988 | 24 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 14 | 34 | −20 | 20.83 |
| Puteolana | |
9 May 1988 | 7 June 1988 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 11 | −8 | 0.00 |
| Cagliari | |
7 June 1988 | 31 May 1991 | 123 | 48 | 48 | 27 | 126 | 98 | +28 | 39.02 |
| Napoli | |
31 May 1991 | 22 November 1992 | 55 | 25 | 16 | 14 | 92 | 66 | +26 | 45.45 |
| Fiorentina | |
30 June 1993 | 3 June 1997 | 174 | 76 | 58 | 40 | 266 | 185 | +81 | 43.68 |
| Valencia |  |
19 September 1997 | 27 June 1999 | 96 | 51 | 18 | 27 | 169 | 106 | +63 | 53.13 |
| Atlético Madrid | |
29 June 1999 | 3 March 2000 | 39 | 16 | 10 | 13 | 63 | 53 | +10 | 41.03 |
| Chelsea |  |
18 September 2000 | 31 May 2004 | 199 | 107 | 46 | 46 | 358 | 197 | +161 | 53.77 |
| Valencia | |
16 June 2004 | 25 February 2005 | 36 | 15 | 9 | 12 | 48 | 41 | +7 | 41.67 |
| Parma | |
13 February 2007 | 31 May 2007 | 18 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 24 | 19 | +5 | 38.89 |
| Juventus | |
4 June 2007 | 18 May 2009 | 93 | 46 | 30 | 17 | 168 | 96 | +72 | 49.46 |
| Roma | |
2 September 2009 | 20 February 2011 | 84 | 47 | 16 | 21 | 140 | 103 | +37 | 55.95 |
| Inter Milan | |
22 September 2011 | 26 March 2012 | 35 | 17 | 5 | 13 | 46 | 42 | +4 | 48.57 |
| Monaco |  |
30 May 2012 | 20 May 2014 | 88 | 51 | 26 | 11 | 152 | 77 | +75 | 57.95 |
| Greece |  |
25 July 2014 | 15 November 2014 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 | −4 | 0.00 |
| Leicester City | |
13 July 2015 | 23 February 2017 | 81 | 36 | 22 | 23 | 119 | 105 | +14 | 44.44 |
| Nantes | |
15 June 2017 | 1 June 2018 | 41 | 15 | 10 | 16 | 44 | 48 | −4 | 36.59 |
| Fulham | |
14 November 2018 | 28 February 2019 | 17 | 3 | 3 | 11 | 16 | 34 | −18 | 17.65 |
| Roma | |
8 March 2019 | 27 May 2019 | 12 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 17 | 12 | +5 | 50.00 |
| Sampdoria | |
12 October 2019 | 30 June 2021 | 72 | 27 | 13 | 32 | 99 | 108 | −9 | 37.50 |
| Watford | |
4 October 2021 | 24 January 2022 | 14 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 17 | 34 | −17 | 14.29 |
| Cagliari | |
1 January 2023 | 23 May 2024 | 65 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 81 | 89 | −8 | 33.85 |
| Roma | |
14 November 2024 | present | 13 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 26 | 14 | +12 | 46.15 |
| Total | 1,416 | 649 | 382 | 385 | 2,133 | 1,589 | +544 | 45.83 | |||
Honours
Manager
Cagliari
Fiorentina
- Serie B: 1993–94
- Coppa Italia: 1995–96
- Supercoppa Italiana: 1996
Valencia
- Copa del Rey: 1998–99
- UEFA Intertoto Cup: 1998
- UEFA Super Cup: 2004
Monaco
- Ligue 2: 2012–13
Leicester City
Individual
- Premier League Manager of the Season: 2015–16
- LMA Manager of the Year: 2015–16
- LMA Premier League Manager of the Year: 2015–16
- Premier League Manager of the Month: September 2003, March 2004, November 2015, March 2016, April 2016
- Enzo Bearzot Award: 2016
- Italian Football Hall of Fame: 2016
- Gazzetta Sports Awards Coach of the Year: 2016
- BBC Sports Personality of the Year Coach Award: 2016
- IFFHS World's Best Club Coach (Third place): 2016
- Golden Foot: 2016, as football legend
- The Best FIFA Men's Coach: 2016
- World Soccer Magazine World Manager of the Year: 2016
- ACF Fiorentina Hall of Fame: 2022
Orders
-
2nd Class / Grand Officer: Grande Ufficiale Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana: 2016
-
1st Class: Palma d'Oro al Merito Tecnico: 2016
See also
In Spanish: Claudio Ranieri para niños
- List of English football championship-winning managers
