💣 Ranieri open to the Italy job! Is he the right man? Pros and cons...👀

He is the man of fairy tales, at least footballing ones. From the historic Premier League title won with Leicester to the double miracle with Cagliari, passing through Roma, where in 2010 he came incredibly close to winning the Scudetto after an unbelievable comeback. In Claudio Ranieri’s career, impossible feats have become almost a specialty. And perhaps that is exactly why his name is once again making noise around the National Team today.

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Last night, speaking to Sky Sport during the “Gianni Di Marzio” Award, Sir Claudio opened the door for the first time in concrete terms to the possibility of becoming the new Italy head coach: “I said no because I was committed to Roma and I couldn’t have two jobs, but now I’m free.” Words that come in the middle of the earthquake that has shaken Italian football following yet another failure to qualify for the World Cup and the resignation of former FIGC president Gabriele Gravina. 

Because after the heaviest failure in Italy’s recent history, the Azzurri are desperately searching for someone capable of rebuilding both technical and emotional rubble. And few coaches in European football evoke the idea of a “mission impossible” quite like Ranieri. 

WHY YES ✅

If there is one name capable of immediately restoring credibility and calm to the National Team, it is the former Roma manager. Not only because of his palmarès, but because of what he represents: the man of great feats, the coach who turned Leicester into an eternal fairy tale and who throughout his career has always had a very rare quality, that of getting into players’ heads even before stepping into the dressing room.

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And that may be exactly what Italy needs today. More than a tactical revolutionary, the Azzurri are looking for someone capable of bringing a lost group back together, easing the pressure and restoring confidence to a team that has been fragile in decisive moments. From this point of view, Ranieri would be an almost natural choice: endless experience, recognized leadership, and a human approach to management that could prove decisive in the role of head coach. 

There is also a symbolic aspect. In an Italian football scene desperately searching for certainties, choosing Ranieri would mean entrusting the team to a reassuring figure, respected by everyone and capable, once again, of making people believe in the impossible.

WHY NOT ❌

At the same time, Ranieri’s candidacy inevitably also brings some doubts. Starting with his age and the type of project the FIGC wants to build: Ranieri will turn 75 this year, and his would be a choice based on immediate experience rather than a bet on the future. After years of changes and failures, does Italy need a man for the emergency or a head coach truly capable of opening a new cycle?

Then there is the style-of-play issue. Ranieri has always been a pragmatic coach, extraordinary in managing difficult moments, but rarely associated with innovative or dominant football. And for a National Team that has struggled for years to create a technical identity, his appointment could be seen as a choice that is more reassuring than revolutionary.

Finally, one question remains: does Ranieri really want to put himself back under such enormous pressure? In recent years he had spoken several times about retirement and about experiencing football differently. Returning to the Azzurri bench today would mean stepping into the most delicate moment in the National Team’s recent history.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.