Serie A: Claudio Ranieri retires

ANDbut is official. Claudio Ranieri will leave Cagliari after the match against Fiorentina on Thursday. And also the world of football as a coach. The Italian coach closes the circle where he started: in Sardinia. And with the consistency achieved on the last day in Reggio Emilia. He retires at 72 and has achieved his goal. Trained at the first level since 1988.

Ranieri will go down in history as the manager who led Leicester City to victory in the most amazing Premier League of all time. He also made several appearances in Spain for Atlético Madrid and Valencia, with whom he won the Copa del Rey in 1999 and the European Super Cup in 2005.

Cagliari stated this:

“Mr Ranieri says goodbye to Cagliari: in his two experiences at the club, he managed to become the author of two promotions and salvation in the top category. Over the past year and a half, he has achieved a new masterpiece, winning the playoffs and the championship.

And these were the words of Ranieri:

“My journey started in 1988, we had three great years with two promotions and one rescue. Then I went away and became great. Now it feels good to leave after a promotion that was perhaps unexpected when I arrived.” It’s January, and on Sunday salvation came. I said that at the last second of the last game because I was referring to Pavoletti’s goal in Bari last year in the 94th minute and I decided to leave now and it was the right thing to do. I signed a three-year contract, but now I can leave reluctantly because it was a difficult and painful decision, but I think it is the right one.

I prefer to leave this way rather than next year when things might go wrong. You already know how afraid I was to return to Cagliari, lest I tarnish the first three years that filled my heart. Things weren’t going well and I didn’t want to come, many insisted, but then I read the words of Gigi Riva, who said that Claudio was one of us. So I decided to take a risk. But now it’s time to leave us. I hope that I will be remembered as a positive person who turned to the people of Cagliari for help. We couldn’t have achieved this without them. The public was an extra person in difficult moments, the fans always believed my words and never abandoned us, blowing after us and never grumbling. I will always be grateful to the public for allowing me to have a great year and a half.

I am proud of them and hope that I was a worthy representative of Cagliari and all of Sardinia. Thank you, the last game will be on Thursday, and I will hug you tenderly.”