Claudio Ranieri is reportedly set to leave Roma following internal conflicts, at a time when Leicester City – the team associated with his historic achievements – have been relegated to League One.
Ranieri left Roma midweek as Leicester were relegated.
Claudio Ranieri is once again the center of attention in European football, but this time not for his achievements on the pitch. According to Italian media, the 74-year-old strategist is preparing to leave his role as a senior advisor at AS Roma following disagreements with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini.
Ranieri returned to coaching last season, leading Roma for the third time in his career. He helped the capital club finish 5th in Serie A before stepping back to take on an advisory role to owner Daniel Friedkin.
Ranieri was one of the people involved in the selection process for Gasperini, the former Atalanta manager, to take over. However, the relationship between these two key figures quickly soured.
In a recent interview with DAZN, Ranieri revealed that Gasperini was only Roma's fourth choice for the head coach position. This statement is seen as the reason for the tense atmosphere within the club.
He also defended the club's transfer policy, asserting that all new signings were made with Gasperini's consent. "If I continue to be asked for my opinion, I will stay. If not, I can leave," Ranieri stated.
Subsequently, numerous sources in Italy reported that Ranieri and Gasperini had almost completely stopped communicating with each other at Roma's training ground. The likelihood of the former Leicester manager leaving his current position is therefore growing.
Ranieri is a unique icon of Italian football. During his decades-long career, he managed a host of clubs including Chelsea, Fulham, Watford, and many other major teams.
His biggest achievement came in the 2015/16 season, when he led Leicester City to the Premier League title with odds of 5,000-1, one of the greatest fairy tales in sporting history.
Ironically, news of Ranieri's imminent departure from Roma emerged in the same week Leicester were officially relegated to League One after two consecutive seasons in the lower division.
A sad chapter is closing at Leicester, while the future of the man who wrote the most glorious chapter in the club's history is also shrouded in uncertainty.