Two days after saving Cagliari Calcio, coach Claudio Ranieri has resigned. It could have been the 72-year-old’s last stop
His contract in Sardinia would have run until 2025. However, the club and coach Claudio Ranieri have agreed to terminate his contract early after Cagliari Calcio managed to avoid relegation.
This marks the retirement of the oldest coach to have worked in Europe’s top five leagues. Initially from his post at Cagliari, but there are also rumors that the now 72-year-old Italian will end his career completely.
Ranieri described the end of the season as the “right time” to end his successful chapter in Sardinia. He took up the post in Serie B on New Year’s Day 2023 and led Cagliari to promotion six months later. Ranieri has now achieved relegation on the penultimate matchday. It is a conciliatory end for the club, which mourned the death of its greatest club icon Luigi Riva in January
The greatest triumph at Leicester
If Ranieri were to end his illustrious coaching career now, it would bring everything full circle. Between 1988 and 1991, he had already managed the Sardinians once before – and even led them from the third to the first division. It was Ranieri’s breakthrough, and he went on to stand on the touchline at many big clubs.
“In both terms of office, he led the club to where it belongs,” wrote Cagliari Calcio in a statement of great gratitude. “Mr. Ranieri has once again achieved a masterpiece, it was like a movie. A circle has been completed.” There was talk of tears of joy and gratitude.
The former defender landed at Valencia FC and Atletico Madrid in Spain via Naples and Florence, and coached Chelsea FC between 2000 and 2004. This was followed by further stints in his home country at Juventus Turin, AS Roma and Inter Milan, and in France at AS Monaco. In 2014, Ranieri briefly coached the Greek national team – unsuccessfully. Before he sensationally led Leicester City, a Premier League basement club, to the English championship in 2015/16. Ranieri’s only championship, arguably his greatest triumph
