May 24, (THEWILL) – Veteran Italian coach, Claudio Ranieri, has announced his retirement from football management at the age of 72 after overseeing Cagliari’s 3-2 home defeat to Fiorentina on Thursday. The former Chelsea, Juventus and Leicester City boss received a rousing ovation and guard of honour from his players at the Sardegna Arena in his final game.
Reflecting on his remarkable career spanning nearly four decades, Ranieri said: “There is a beginning and an end to everything. Closing the circle where I started is something I dreamed of, and the dream was wonderful.” He previously managed Cagliari briefly in 1988 before going on to take charge of some of Italy and England’s biggest clubs.
Ranieri is best remembered for masterminding Leicester City’s incredible English Premier League title triumph in 2015/2016 against odds of 5000/1. The Italian also enjoyed successful spells with Chelsea, Roma, Valencia and Atletico Madrid among others. “As a player I was not a great champion, but as a coach I had a lot of fun,” he stated. “For me it was an honour to be in the world of soccer.”
Cagliari president Tommaso Giulini paid tribute to Ranieri’s influence, highlighting “the grace, loyalty, determination and courage” he displayed during his time at the club. The 72-year-old departs with Cagliari sitting 15th in Serie A after 14 wins, 9 draws and 14 defeats this season under his stewardship.
Ranieri’s retirement marks the end of an iconic coaching career that will be remembered for that unforgettable EPL triumph with Leicester and consistently overachieving at some of the biggest clubs across Europe’s top leagues over 37 years.
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Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
