It is May 2, 2016, against all odds Claudio Ranieri takes the Cinderella of the league to the top of English football: Leicester City wins its first Premier League.
Claudio Ranieri he made his debut as a defender of Roma, 6 games, before moving on to Catanzaro. With the eagles, between 1974 and 1982, he established himself as a staple of the defense, and became the Giallorossi player to have played the most matches in Serie A. At the end of his career, after a brief interlude between Catania and Palermo, he would not want to make the 'coach, but then thinks about it and goes to Vigor Lamezia, starting from the inter-regional. In 1988 he moved to Cagliari, winning the Serie C Italian Cup and in two years bringing the Sardinians from Serie C to Serie A.
With Fiorentina he won the Italian Cup and the Italian Super Cup
At Careca and Zola's Napoli he obtained a UEFA qualification in 1992, before being hired for Fiorentina, where, during the 1995-96 season, in addition to achieving fourth place in Serie A, he led the gigliati to victory in the Italian Cup by winning all 8 races played, and beating Atalanta in the final. Another triumph follows with the viola in the Italian Super Cup, winning against Milan champion of Italy, beaten thanks to a brace from Batistuta. In Europe Claudio Ranieri's Fiorentina reached the semifinal, surrendering only to Barcelona.
Between Spain and England
In the 1998-1999 season the coach was in Valencia where he qualified for the Champions League and managed to win his first trophy abroad by winning the King's Cup, beating Atlético de Madrid 3-0 in the final. The following year he moved to the helm of the Madrid team, before moving to England in September 2000 to lead Chelsea where he reached the semifinal of Champions League in 2003-2004 and second place in the Premier League. Back in Spain, on 8 June 2004 he signed with Valencia, the victory of the European Super Cup.
In Italy with Juve and then in Rome
In 2007 he returned to Italy, and after a wonderful experience with Parma, he found an agreement with Del Piero's Juventus. A difficult and electrifying challenge that does not make Claudio Ranieri's wrists tremble. A technician with experience and international vision. He takes the place of Didier Deschamps, the French coach who brought the Bianconeri back to Serie A. There is work to be done to recover the positions that compete at Juventus. Having Claudio Ranieri as a coach is totally in line with the style that Juventus has always had and that they want to pursue. In the 2007-2008 championship, the bianconeri immediately won third place behind Inter, one of the strongest teams of all time, and Rome.
He beats them both in the second round and immediately returns to the Champions League. After a brilliant second place in the next championship, just behind Inter, he left the bianconeri due to differences with the club. On 2 September 2009 he became the coach of Roma, taking over from Luciano Spalletti, who resigned after the defeats against Genoa and Juventus in the first two days of the championship. With his Roma he charges the players by showing them the film Il gladiatore. On May 16, 2010 he closed the championship in second place with 80 points.
Claudio Ranieri: from main opponent to Inter coach
On 22 September 2011 the president Massimo Moratti called him to replace Gian Piero Gasperini at the helm of the Nerazzurri of Cosentino Diego Milito. Moratti wants an experienced technician, with clear ideas and strong temper, with the personality and firmness of Claudio Ranieri. And yet another derby arrives. Milan are at the top of the table, Inter come from 5 consecutive victories, but they can't be wrong. Claudio Ranieri is used to taking on great responsibilities. In Milan he knows that there is a great passion around this derby. Before the match with the Rossoneri, the coach meets a Milan fan on the street who, after greeting him, tells him that Inter will concede three goals. The fan and the coach leave each other smiling. Left by Diego Milito, Inter wins.
The return of the 'gladiator' to England
He returns to England, this time at Leicester City, which for Claudio Ranieri resembles his Catanzaro. The new coach has the task of achieving a peaceful salvation for the 2015-2016 Premier League season. It is a very important year for the English club, it must be saved, but the welcome from the Roman coach is somewhat skeptical, everyone is convinced of an almost immediate exemption.
According to British bookmakers, Leicester's conquest of the English title is less likely than Elvis Presley found alive somewhere. Or the landing of the aliens, the existence of the Loch Ness monster or the Nobel Peace Prize to Donald Trump. The final victory in the Premier League of Claudio Ranieri's new team, built only to hope for salvation, without even the certainty of succeeding, pays 5000 to 1 at the beginning of the season. Nobody believes in the salvation of the "foxes", much less in the Italian coach.
Claudio Ranieri, the King
On 8 August, on his debut at Leicester, he immediately obtained his first victory thanks to a 4-2 home game inflicted on Sunderland. One game after another, and Claudio Ranieri starts offering pizza every time his players finish a match without goals conceded, and after a series of excellent results they surprise Leicester at the top of the table. On the thirteenth day the "foxes" are in first place alone.
At the end of the championship, unexpectedly, Leicester becomes English champions for the first time after 132 years of history. He is the third Italian coach to win the Premier League after Claudio Ancelotti and Roberto Mancini. The surprise is general in England and abroad, analyzed all the sporting events, that of the unexpected triumph in the Premier of Leicester, is the greatest sporting feat ever, and the press defines him king Claudio, the thinker, for his polite manners and competent technical decisions.
Claudio Ranieri 'Best coach in the world'
His extraordinary skills as a football teacher and tireless motivator emerge during the long career, which began in the minor categories in Lamezia Terme. Career continued between Italy, Greece and Spain, up to the top of a competitive and fascinating championship like the Premier League. For these skills, Ranieri is awarded the Best FIFA Men's Coach, the prize awarded by Fifa to the best coach in the world.
And also the president of Coni, Giovanni Malagò, gives him the Palme d'Or for technical merit. Before Claudio Ranieri, the Palme d'Or had only been awarded to one other football coach, in 2006 to Marcello Lippi on the occasion of the Azzurri's victory at the World Cup in Germany. Claudio Ranieri, was also appointed by the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella great officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic. He is the fifth sportsman after Gino Bartali, Reinhold Messner, Silvio Piola and Sara Simeoni to have received this recognition.
