74-Year-Old Veteran Manager Claudio Ranieri Ready to Take Over Italian National Team
Claudio Ranieri, the 74-year-old former Leicester City manager, has expressed willingness to lead Italy's national team after the federation began searching for a successor to Gennaro Gattuso, who failed to secure World Cup qualification.
Veteran Italian manager Claudio Ranieri has announced his willingness to take on a role with the Italian national team, whether as head coach or technical director. The Italian Football Federation is actively searching for a successor to Gennaro Gattuso, who parted ways with the team after failing to secure a spot in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Ranieri recently became available after stepping down as a consultant at AS Roma following a clash with manager Jean-Pierre Gasperini. Ranieri told Sky Sport Italia: "Previously I had to turn it down because I had a job at Roma and couldn't do two jobs at once, but now I'm free, so if someone contacts me, why not? Don't say it's impossible." When asked whether he would accept a coaching or director position with the Italian national team, he replied: "I don't know yet, but when your national team reaches out, you have to say yes. It's as simple as that." At 74 years old, Ranieri has previously announced his retirement twice. His impressive resume includes managing numerous clubs and most notably leading Leicester City to win the English Premier League championship.
