Ranieri returns to Italian football with a new challenge after Roma departure
Club News·28 July 2026·3h ago

Ranieri returns to Italian football with a new challenge after Roma departure

Source: Il Messaggero – Roma

Claudio Ranieri has accepted a role with the Italian Football Federation, joining the national team setup as president of club Italia and technical director alongside head coach Mancini. The move comes a year after Ranieri turned down the Italy job to remain at Roma, a decision he has since come to regret following his departure from the Giallorossi in 2025.

Ranieri managed Roma across three separate spells, most recently in 2024–25, when he guided the club from relegation danger towards Champions League qualification before being dismissed. The Friedkin Group had blocked his appointment to the national team last year, refusing to allow him to work on a dual track. His choice to stay proved costly; relations between Ranieri and coach Gian Piero Gasperini deteriorated from the start, and the federation ultimately moved in another direction. In his new advisory capacity, Ranieri will work alongside Mancini and support Italy's path through the upcoming European Championship in two years and beyond towards the next World Cup.

At 74, Ranieri brings 1,361 managerial appointments across his career, including his celebrated Leicester City title triumph. His sole previous experience with a national team came during a brief, unsuccessful spell with Greece from July to November 2014, comprising four matches. Ranieri's primary task will be to consult with domestic club coaches without overstepping, a balance he learned to strike during his Roma tenure.

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Two significant departures are reshaping AS Roma's personnel landscape. Claudio Ranieri, who guided the club through three separate spells including most recently in 2024–25, has left Italian football for a new challenge. According to Il Messaggero, the 74-year-old has accepted a role with the Italian Football Federation as president of club Italia and technical director, working alongside head coach Mancini to support Italy's path toward the European Championship in two years and the next World Cup. The move comes after the Friedkin Group blocked his appointment to the national team last year when he chose to remain at Roma—a decision he later came to regret following his dismissal from the club. Ranieri's primary task will involve consulting with domestic club coaches without overstepping boundaries, a skill he refined during his Roma tenure. In separate news, Forza Roma reports that midfielder Riccardo Pagano is set to leave Roma for the second time, signing a three-year contract with Cesena. The 23-year-old, who made seven appearances for Roma under José Mourinho during the 2023–24 season, arrived for medical examinations today after spending last season on loan at Bari.

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Testo Originale / Source Text

«Allenatore o dirigente: se vieni chiamato devi dire sì e basta», così Claudio Ranieri, maggio scorso, poco dopo essere stato defenestrato dalla Roma, e dopo che proprio alla Roma aveva dato - per l'ennesima volta - tutto quello ciò che aveva, portandola dalla zona retrocessione a un passo dalla…

Read the full article in Italian at Il Messaggero – Roma.

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