Ranieri rejects offer to coach Italy on a quest to get back to the World Cup
ROME (AP) — Claudio Ranieri did not even want to try where Roberto Mancini and Gian Piero Ventura failed — to take four-time champion Italy back to the World Cup.
One of the most beloved coaches in Italian soccer, Ranieri said on Tuesday he declined to lead Italy's already troubled bid to qualify for its first World Cup since 2014.
'I thank President (Gabriele) Gravina for the opportunity,' Ranieri told Italian agency ANSA on Tuesday about the offer to coach the Azzurri from the national soccer federation leader.
The job is vacant just five days after Italy began its qualifying campaign with a woeful 3-0 loss at group leader Norway.
Luciano Spalletti paid for that defeat with his job but was allowed to stay on for a 2-0 win late Monday over minnow Moldova.
The 73-year-old Ranieri seemed available after more impressive work coaching Roma — reviving the club since being hired midseason — by taking a front-office advisory role for Texas-based owners the Friedkin family.
'The Friedkins gave me their full support and support for any decision I made about the national team, but the decision is only mine,' Ranieri told ANSA.
Ranieri's farewell from Roma fans was an emotional salute for a second straight season, having previously restored the fortunes of Cagliari, who he then guided to stay in Serie A.
Describing the Italy offer as 'a great honor,' Ranieri said on Tuesday he 'reflected and decided to remain at Roma's disposal' with total commitment.
Ranieri's four-decade career in coaching includes just four games as a national coach. His spell at Greece in 2014 lasted just a few months and was a rare failure.
His next job lifted his reputation even higher: Taking Leicester to an astonishing English Premier League title in 2016 with a team widely predicted to struggle against relegation.
By the time Ranieri was fired by Leicester in 2017, Italy had begun a 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign under Ventura that would end in a playoffs elimination by Sweden. Italy had earlier been runner-up to Spain in a qualifying group.
Back-to-back failures to qualify were sealed in March 2022, coached by Mancini. Then-European champion Italy had been group runner-up behind Switzerland then was stunningly beaten at home by North Macedonia in a playoffs semifinal.
Italy has less than three months to find a coach before hosting Estonia on Sept. 5 in five-team Group I.
Norway has won four straight games, with Erling Haaland scoring in each. Italy is nine points behind in third place two games extra to play. Israel is currently second.
Italy hosts Norway in the final round on Nov. 16. Only the group winner advances direct to the 2026 tournament co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. The runner-up enters playoff brackets next March.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
33 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Roma eyeing Sunderland's Dan Neil as Paredes replacement
Roma are reportedly interested in Sunderland midfielder Dan Neil. In recent days, rumors linking Leandro Paredes with an exit from the Italian capital have become more prominent. The Argentine is in fact close to moving back to Boca Juniors who have launched talks with the player's entourage. Advertisement As a result, Roma are looking for a midfielder who could replace him and fit Gasperini's system. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, one of the top names on Florent Ghisolfi's shortlist is that of Dan Neil. The 23-year-old could move on from Sunderland after their promotion to the Premier League. Neil concluded this season with 47 appearances, 2 goals and 3 assists.
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Roma to face Kaiserslautern in preseason friendly
Roma are organizing their summer preseason with Gian Piero Gasperini at the helm. With the arrival of the new coach, the Giallorossi club will need a significant period to best assimilate the changes. After the friendly test already scheduled against Lens, another important event is being added to the calendar of pre-season games. Advertisement According to German newspaper Die Rheinpfalz, Roma should face Kaiserslautern, a team from the 2. Bundesliga, on July 26. The match against the German club would represent a further test for Gasperini's group, who will thus have the opportunity to put into practice the work done in retreat and refine their preparation for the start of the official season.
Boston Globe
an hour ago
- Boston Globe
The 2026 World Cup is one year away: How plans for Boston's seven games are progressing and what comes next
Or New England, for that matter. 'It's bigger than I've ever seen in my lifetime and perhaps that we'll see in the next lifetime, I'm not sure,' said Martha Sheridan, president and CEO of Meet Boston. 'Nothing would compare to this. This is what we would call an outlier.' Next year's World Cup will be the first with 104 games to be played by 48 teams, an increase of 12 countries over the World Cups since 1998, and twice as many games and teams as there were in 1994, when the US last hosted the World Cup. In that World Cup, the six games at the smaller Foxboro Stadium generated some $50 million in revenues. Advertisement Organizers expect this one to create more than 5,000 jobs and for $60 million in revenues for the state and city. Not included in the $1.1 billion, a figure the organizing committee said is based on independent studies, is free media exposure estimated to be worth 'hundreds of millions of dollars,' said Mike Loynd, president and CEO of FIFA World Cup Boston 2026. Also left out of the billion-dollar equation is 'future legacy,' which Loynd said refers to economic growth that will accrue from 'the region being recognized as a great place to do business and visit. Advertisement 'I don't think we've ever seen this sort of density of events this close together with this amount of attention paid internationally. We're seeing hundreds of thousands of viewers per event, at a minimum, on average for the games, and the quarterfinal [on July 9] will be massive. The eyes of the world will be on us.' Before the hordes and cameras arrive, Boston organizers will continue to chip away at a formidable to-do list that's been growing since FIFA included Boston on its list of 16 North American host cities almost three years ago. A few items, such as festooning South Station with 'Boston 26″ paraphernalia and unveiling a countdown clock at Faneuil Hall Wednesday morning, are being activated at one year away. The biggest pieces of the puzzle, such as security, transportation, funding, and FanFest specifics, are still being hammered out. Other items, such as many of the stadium modifications, have to wait for the Patriots' upcoming season to end. There's a lot of legwork left before visitors start swiping and tapping their credit cards. Loynd and Sheridan sat down with the Globe recently to provide a progress report. Pillow talk There are enough beds for everyone. 'We'll be fine,' said Sheridan, citing a high density of hotel properties across Boston and southern New England. FIFA is holding about 3,900 rooms a night for approximately 40 days. Reservations should roughly happen in three waves, beginning this week when hotels open their systems 12 months out, after the draw in December when fans across the globe learn where their team will be playing, and in the weeks and days as the tournament approaches. Advertisement Immigration worries Because the Trump administration's aggressive stance and actions regarding illegal and legal immigrants is well-documented and ongoing, an influx of foreigners in every one of the 11 US host cities will be fraught. However, Boston organizers voiced confidence that the close relationship between FIFA president Gianni Infantino and Trump, as well as the president's desire to pull off a tournament without controversy, will decrease the possibility of problems. 'The administration is hyperfocused on making this event successful; they know they're in the spotlight,' said Sheridan. 'I think the administration is going to be uber-focused on making sure that the inbound process is as smooth as possible.' Safe and sound Each host city has been in talks with the Department of Homeland Security and FIFA over the last two years to coordinate over common concerns and to anticipate trouble spots at the stadium, traffic routes, and fan-gathering sites. Locally, Loynd's organizing committee and the state chair a steering committee on security that has 18 subgroups that include representation from about 30 public agencies, including the Boston and state police, chiefs of staff from the governor and Boston mayor's office, the state's emergency operations center, MBTA, and Amtrak security. The federal government has dedicated $625 million to help with security in the US cities. No texting while idling Nobody should be under the impression that getting in and out of Boston Stadium will somehow be quicker and easier than the usual congestion around Gillette Stadium for concerts and Patriots and Revolution games. Because fewer spectators will be traveling to the Boston area with a car than for normal stadium events, there will be an even heavier reliance on public transportation. Advertisement The frequency of commuter rail trips will increase and bus routes will be added to supplement train service. Boston organizers and MBTA officials are working together on transportation issues. Organizers are still finalizing plans on whether satellite parking lots for buses will be used, plus working on other solutions to mitigate congestion. Stadium makeover In order to provide enough space for a properly sized FIFA pitch, crews will have to make four corner cuts in the curved corners of the lower seating bowl. Those will happen soon, with temporary seating provided during the Patriots season so capacity will not shrink. An exact capacity figure for the soccer games is not available, but with the corner cuts and an extra media tribune being built over seating in the south end of the stadium, capacity will be less than the 65,878 for Patriots games. Whenever the Patriots' season ends, crews will finish installing the subair system that, along with grow lights, will be needed for the new grass field. In addition to removing Gillette Stadium signage, any current corporate signage will be covered so that only FIFA's corporate sponsors' logos can be seen by fans and TV viewers. A Gillette Stadium makeover for World Cup games next year will be completed once the Patriots' upcoming season ends. Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff Who's got tickets FIFA maintains tight control on the vast majority of tickets for each game and has yet to provide information on sales and pricing. The Boston committee will receive a modest allotment that will be reserved mainly for its sponsors and donors. There will not be more information on tickets before the end of FIFA's Club World Cup taking place in the US now through mid-July. Keep an eye out for Advertisement More than a game There will be a central FanFest site located in Boston, but the big reveal on where and what it will entail is not ready. There also will be public viewing sites across New England. Once the draw is completed, the committee will try, if possible, to focus celebratory activities in any regional area heavily populated by native fans of incoming national teams. On Wednesday morning, a countdown clock for the start of the World Cup will start ticking outside Faneuil Hall. In the afternoon, Governor Maura Healey and assorted soccer luminaries will take part in a soccer demonstration and panel discussion at Boston University's Nickerson Field. There will be costs Loynd said the committee is working on a budget with an unknown final figure but one that is expected to fall between $75 million and $100 million. 'We're never going to build anything more than what we can financially afford,' said Loynd. Besides security and transportation costs, there are costs associated with FanFest and other celebratory sites, none of which have been finalized. Ronald O'Hanley, chair and CEO of State Street Bank, is chairing an honorary board with members, many of whom will be donors, being announced in the coming weeks. Meet Boston provided $5 million for Boston 26, said Sheridan. What's left behind It's too early for details, but Boston 26 will be building multiple soccer fields in underserved communities, said Loynd. Boston 26 also intends to develop programming for a 'collective group of social impact programs that exist across New England to work together,' he said. Advertisement Boston's World Cup games Boston will host seven games in the 2026 World Cup. The matchups and details will come after the draw is announced in December. Saturday, June 13 : Group C game Tuesday, June 16 : Group I game Friday, June 19 : Group C game Tuesday, June 23 : Group L game Friday, June 26 : Group I game Monday, June 29 : Group E winner vs. Group A/B/C/D/F third-place game Thursday, July 9 : Quarterfinal game Michael Silverman can be reached at
