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Fri 22 October 2021 | 14:30

Top facts about Claudio Ranieri, The Tinkerman

Claudio Ranieri is a former defender who went on to coach various teams like Chelsea, Monaco, Internazionale, Juventus, Roma, and Leicester City. He is the current head coach of Watford and is one of 11 managers to win the Premier League. Read on to find out more facts about Claudio Ranieri.

Claudio Ranieri Grande Ufficiale OMRI (born October 20, 1951) is the present coach of Premier League team Watford.

Claudio Ranieri’s age

is 70. Here you can find out the most important facts about Claudio Ranieri, the legendary coach.

The first fact about Claudio Ranieri is that he started his management career in Italy's lower divisions in the late 1980s, and rose to prominence with Cagliari, when he guided the team from Serie C1 to Serie A in three seasons.

He went on to coach Napoli, where he guided the club to UEFA Cup qualification before being fired the following season. He joined Fiorentina in 1993 and quickly guided them to Serie A promotion, as well as the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana, before going to Spain in 1997 to manage Valencia and subsequently

Atlético Madrid

.

An important fact about Claudio Ranieri is that he won the Copa del Rey and the UEFA Intertoto Cup with Valencia, as well as helping the team qualify for the UEFA Champions League. In the year 2000, Ranieri went to England to take over as Chelsea's head coach.

Chelsea improved their point total each season during his four years with the club, becoming runners-up in 2004 and reaching the UEFA Champions League semi-final the following year.

In May of that year, he was fired by

Chelsea

owner Roman Abramovich, although a number of players he acquired and developed during his tenure at Stamford Bridge went on to form the foundation of the team that went on to win domestic and international titles in the following seasons.

Top facts about Claudio Ranieri:

A notable fact about Claudio Ranieri is that he returned to coaching in Italy in 2007, after a disappointing second stint in Spain with Valencia, where he had mixed results with periods at Parma, Juventus, Roma, and

Inter Milan

. In 2012, he was recruited to manage

Monaco

, a Ligue 1 club that had recently ended in the middle of Ligue 2.

In his first season, he won promotion as champions, and in his second season, he finished as Ligue 1 runners-up. Following that, he tried his hand at international management with the Greek national team, but was fired less than four months later following a 1–0 home loss to the Faroe Islands in UEFA Euro 2016 qualification.

Claudio Ranieri early life

Ranieri is a longtime fan of A.S. Roma, having been born in San Saba, a Rome neighborhood near the Circus Maximus. Speaking about

Claudio Ranieri’s childhood

, it is worth mentioning that he started playing football at his church in the neighborhood.

He had a stereotypically English demeanor, according to a childhood acquaintance, in that he was quiet and reticent. Regarding

Claudio Ranieri’s parents

, it should me mentioned that he and his family lived in Formello, a neighboring town that also happens to be home to 1982 FIFA World Cup-winning goalie

Dino Zoff

.

Claudio Ranieri personal life

Dr. Rosanna is Ranieri's wife. Claudio Ranieri has a child, Claudia, who wedded Alessandro Roja, an Italian actor, and has a grandchild called Orlando.

In May 2016, when managing

Leicester City

, he drew media attention when he announced that he would be traveling to Rome to spend lunch with his 96-year-old mom instead of witnessing the Chelsea–Tottenham Hotspur match; the game finished in a 2–2 draw, giving Ranieri his first Premier League championship.

Claudio Ranieri professional career

Claudio Ranieri played as a defender for various Italian clubs and later started his career as a manager. He started his career with a little-known club called Campania Puteolana and moved to Caligari in 1988.

The club soared and won the Coppa Italia Serie C in 1989. Then, Ranieri moved to

Napoli

and helped the club score remarkable wins against veritable giants. After this, he progressed to other teams and enjoyed a rewarding stint at Fiorentina where he guided the team to victories in the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana in 1996.

His impressive record at Fiorentina helped him land a job in the Spanish league. His two-year stint at Valencia saw the team qualify for the UEFA Champions League and win the UEFA Intertoto Club. This set the stage for his entry to the coveted English Premier League.

As the coach of Chelsea for the next four years, Ranieri laid the foundation of the champion side that dominated Europe for many years. Later, Ranieri joined Leicester City and ensured a historical win for them, thus immortalizing his name.

The 69-year-old was appointed as the new Watford manager on a two-year deal in 2021, replacing Xisco Muñoz. Overall, Ranieri remains one of the most respected managers in the world of football, distinguished by his tactical knowledge in football.

Claudio Ranieri playing career

Ranieri began his professional football career with Roma, but he only made six appearances in two seasons with the team; he also had a one-month loan stint with Siracusa. Ranieri played defense for Catanzaro (1974–1982), Catania (1982–1984), and Palermo (1984–1986) for the most of his career.

He was a part of four successful marketing initiatives (two with Catanzaro and one each with Catania and Palermo).

Claudio Ranieri coaching career

His management career began with Vigor Lamezia, when he guided them to the top of the league with a 12-match undefeated run. He subsequently quit after refusing to employ players brought in by a close friend of the president's agency. After first coaching Vigor Lamezia, he went on to coach a professional team.

Campania Puteolana, a tiny club in Pozzuoli, was Ranieri's first management job. In 1987, he became the director of the facility. However, it was as a manager at Cagliari that he established his reputation.

Cagliari

An important

fact about Claudio Ranieri

is that he helped the club earn promotion to Serie A from the third level Serie C1 in consecutive seasons after arriving in 1988, and he also won the Coppa Italia Serie C in 1989.

His squad at Cagliari was renowned for their fluid tactical approach, which allowed them to alter their shape and move between various formations within a single match.

Napoli

A notable fact about Claudio Ranieri is that he coached Napoli for two seasons starting in 1991, when the club was in financial trouble. Despite reaching fourth in Serie A and qualifying for the UEFA Cup during his time with the club, he did not win any trophy.

Despite the club's remarkable 5–1 away victory against

Valencia

in the first round of the competition, he was fired by the club's owner at the time, Corrado Ferlaino, after the team was eliminated in the second round of the UEFA Cup during his second season in command.

He did, however, bring Gianfranco Zola to the first squad as a replacement for the banned

Diego Maradona

, who had just departed the club. as well as Daniel Fonseca, with whom he shared the team's front line with veteran striker Careca.

Fiorentina

Fiorentina was promoted to Serie A following Ranieri's first season in command, when the Florence-based club won the Serie B championship in 1993–94.

He went on to earn the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana in 1996, and, along with the aggressive skills and abilities of Gabriel Batistuta,

Rui Costa

, and Francesco Baiano, he helped Fiorentina go on a 15-match undefeated run during the 1995–96 Serie A season, which saw the squad hold second place for several months behind league leaders Milan.

However, Fiorentina lost five of their last nine league games, and eventually the next season was less successful, with Fiorentina finishing ninth in the league, although reaching the semi-finals of the 1996–97 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, where they were defeated by eventual winners Barcelona.

Valencia

From 1997 to 1999, he was the manager of Valencia, leading them to a fourth-place finish in La Liga and UEFA Champions League qualifying in 1999; he also claimed the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 1998 and the Copa del Rey in 1999.

A notable

fact about Claudio Ranieri

is that he departed the club in 1999 as a popular figure, and has been acknowledged for setting Valencia on the path to future glory in the Champions League and La Liga, despite the fact that he arrived in the bottom half of the league.

Valencia were renowned for their efficiency and tactical discipline under Ranieri's tactically demanding 4–4–2 system, as well as their use of strong pressing to reclaim possession and their counter-attacking skill.

Claudio López, Gaizka Mendieta, Miguel ngel Angulo, and Javier Farinós were among the young players he was responsible for developing at the club. Ranieri also brought in a number of players who would go on to have great success at Mestalla, including goalkeeper Santiago Caizares.

Atlético Madrid

In 1999, Ranieri joined Atlético Madrid as coach, although the club fell into management and suffered on the field throughout his tenure.

As the club was on the verge of demotion, Ranieri quit before being fired by Atlético president Jess Gil, who was notorious for firing managers.

Chelsea

From 18 September 2000 until 30 May 2004, Ranieri was the head coach of Chelsea, and he fought hard to overcome the language gap. He could only speak minimal English when he arrived to the London club; however, the team had a few players who could speak Italian and Spanish and could interpret for him on the training field.

Chelsea finished sixth in the Premier League and qualified for the UEFA Cup in Ranieri's debut season. In the summer of 2001, Ranieri was given the task of rebuilding Chelsea, bringing in Frank Lampard from

West Ham United

, Emmanuel Petit and Boudewijn Zenden from Barcelona, and Jesper Grnkjr from Ajax to form a fresh new midfield. He also spent more than £30 million for defender William Gallas from Marseille.

Ranieri, on the other hand, was chastised for selling fan favorite Dennis Wise and for Chelsea's league performance not improving much from the previous season. The team finished sixth once again, but did make it to the FA Cup Final, where they were defeated by Arsenal 2–0.

During the 2002–03 season, as well as during his time at Chelsea, Ranieri was accused of over-rotating his team, earning him the moniker "The Tinkerman" from the British press. Chelsea ended the season on a high note, qualifying for the Champions League with a 2–1 victory against

Liverpool

on the last day.

Ranieri's accomplishment, which came after a tough financial season in which the club's sole new signing was Enrique de Lucas on a free transfer from Espanyol, was lauded by fans and the media alike.

In addition, Ranieri was successful in bringing out the best in veterans like Samuele Dalla Bona and Mario Stani, as well as developing young players like John Terry, Robert Huth, and Carlton Cole.

When Roman Abramovich, a Russian billionaire, bought Chelsea in 2003, he gave Ranieri a huge transfer budget but also put his career in jeopardy. Abramovich was seen meeting with England national team manager Sven-Göran Eriksson only days after the acquisition.

This investment culminated in the club's greatest league position in 49 years, when they finished second behind Arsenal in the Premier League, who had been the first team in almost a century to complete a full league season without losing.

In September 2004, Ranieri released Proud Man Walking, a book about his last year at Chelsea. The profits went to the Great Ormond Street Hospital in London.

Valencia

An important

fact about Claudio Ranieri

is that he was appointed coach of Valencia for a second time on a three-year deal on June 8, 2004. After a short resurgence, Valencia lost six games without a victory starting in mid-January.

Apart from the unpopularity of his four Italian acquisitions, Ranieri was chastised for not playing Argentine playmaker Pablo Aimar and for changing formations and tactics on a regular basis, similar to his Chelsea days.

After Valencia were eliminated from the UEFA Cup by Steaua București on February 25, 2005, he was fired. At the time of Ranieri's departure, Valencia was sixth in La Liga. Valencia named Quique Sánchez Flores as Ranieri's long-term replacement in June 2005. Prior to that, Valencia paid Ranieri £3 million in compensation for terminating his contract early.

Parma

Following the resignation of Stefano Pioli, Ranieri was named the new Parma manager on February 12, 2007, one day after the 23rd Serie A matchday.

A notable fact about Claudio Ranieri is that he lost his first game in charge 1–0 to

Sampdoria

, but went on to have a string of impressive results to help Parma avoid relegation, earning 17 points in ten games (as opposed to his predecessor's 15 points in 23 games), including a 4–3 unexpected away victory at Palermo, which prompted the rosanero to fire their coach Francesco Guidolin.

Parma escaped relegation by winning 3–1 against Empoli at the conclusion of the season, finishing 13th in Serie A. The squad began to score goals in spectacular fashion, as shown by the 4–1 hammering of Messina in early May. Following his success in saving Parma from relegation, Ranieri was connected with a number of managerial positions, including Fulham, Manchester City, and Palermo.

Following a frenzy of betting activity, William Hill stopped betting on him becoming Manchester City manager on May 16, 2007. Parma confirmed on May 31 that Ranieri will not be their manager for the next season.

Juventus

An important fact about Claudio Ranieri is that he took over as coach of

Juventus

on June 4, 2007. He joined the club on a three-year deal. The agreement went into force on July 1, 2007.

Ranieri signed players from Udinese and Ajax, including Vincenzo Iaquinta and Zdenk Grygera. His first year as coach of Juventus was a triumph, as he led the club to a third-place finish after just one campaign in Serie B, qualification for the 2008–09 Champions League, and ending the season as the joint top-scoring team in Serie A.

Juventus started the season well, beating

Real Madrid

in both of their Champions League first-round matches to finish first in their group, but the Turin-based club ultimately lost in the round of 16 against Ranieri's old club, Chelsea.

Inter were crowned Serie A winners on May 18, 2009, and following an emergency board meeting on May 18, 2009, the board fired Ranieri. Ciro Ferrara, the head of the youth system, took his position.

That season, Ranieri also guided Juventus to the Coppa Italia semi-finals, when they were defeated by Lazio, who went on to win the competition. Juventus finished second in the league, one spot higher than the previous season.

Roma

A notable fact about Claudio Ranieri is that he was appointed as Roma's new manager on a two-year deal on September 1, 2009, replacing Luciano Spalletti, who had quit the day before after starting the 2009–10 Serie A season with two losses.

As a result, Ranieri, a Rome native, was named head coach of the football team he had loved since boyhood. After Ranieri's squad beat Mourinho's Nerazzurri on matchday 31, Roma significantly improved their performances and pushed themselves into the title race. The gap between them and leaders Inter was reduced to just one point after Ranieri's team defeated Mourinho's Nerazzurri.

Following Roma's 1–0 loss in the Coppa Italia final, Inter manager Jose Mourinho openly ridiculed Ranieri, claiming that he had shown his squad the film Gladiator before the match to encourage them. The next season, in the 2010 Supercoppa Italiana, Ranieri was defeated once again by Inter.

The season began badly for Roma, as Ranieri clashed with club captain Totti, who was upset at being kept out of the squad, as well as his coach's defensive tactics and frequent lineup changes.

Despite the fact that the club's performance improved over time, after a dismal run of performances, Ranieri resigned as manager on February 20, 2011. His last match in command ended in a 4–3 loss against Genoa, in which Roma blew a 3–0 lead.

Inter

On September 22, 2011, Ranieri was appointed Inter's new manager, succeeding Gian Piero Gasperini, who was fired after Inter lost four of their five matches due to poor performance.

A notable fact about Claudio Ranieri is that he agreed to stay with the club until June 30, 2013. The Nerazzurri won 3–1 against Bologna in Ranieri's debut on September 24; it was the team's first competitive victory in all competitions since the start of the season, and it was followed by a 3–2 Champions League away triumph at CSKA Moscow.

They were suddenly talking about competing for the championship after a run of seven straight Serie A victories in December 2011 and January 2012, including a 1–0 triumph over cross-city rivals Milan.

Inter then had a terrible run of performances (including the transfer of Thiago Motta to PSG) and their Champions League chances were on a knife's edge after losing 1–0 to Marseille in the round of 16 first leg encounter.

Monaco

Ranieri signed a two-year deal with Ligue 2 team Monaco on May 30, 2012. Monaco was promoted to Ligue 1 under Ranieri's guidance, with the team winning the Ligue 2 title for the first time in its history.

After finishing second in the 2013–14 Ligue 1 behind winners

Paris Saint-Germain

, Ranieri guided Monaco to second place with 80 points the following season. His contract as Monaco manager was not extended on May 20, 2014.

National team of Greece

Following Fernando Santos' resignation after the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Ranieri was named manager of the Greece national team; he signed a two-year deal for €1.6 million. Ranieri, in contrast to Otto Rehhagel and Santos, often changed line-ups and formations, confounding the players; furthermore, he did not reside in Greece.

He was fired on November 15, 2014, the day after his team lost 1-0 to the Faroe Islands in a UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying match at home.

Leicester City

Leicester City appointed Ranieri as their next manager on a three-year deal on July 13, 2015. Given Ranieri's previous dismissals and Greece's defeat to the Faroe Islands, his hiring was originally greeted with skepticism. Marcus Christenson of The Guardian termed it "baffling."

Despite the pressure from the following clubs, Leicester maintained their advantage at the top of the table throughout April, knowing they only needed three points to win the Premier League. On the 1st of May, Leicester drew 1–1 with Manchester United at Old Trafford, gaining them a vital point.

Throughout the season, Ranieri was praised by the media for his good humour and inspirational leadership at Leicester, as well as for successfully developing a winning mentality and a successful team environment, as well as for his tactical awareness and for frequently relieving his players of pressure. As a result of his championship success, he was dubbed "King Claudio" by some in the media.

Leicester played at Chelsea on the last day of the season, and they were given a ceremonial guard of honour. As Leicester completed the season with a 1–1 away tie, Carlo Cudicini, an Italian goalkeeper who played for Chelsea under Ranieri, presented him with a special award on behalf of the club.

Leicester started the 2016–17 season with a 2–1 loss to

Manchester United

in the 2016 FA Community Shield on August 7, 2016.

Despite their hardships in the top division, Leicester had a better start to their first-ever Champions League campaign, winning their first three games and keeping 4 successive clean sheets.

following a 2–1 win over Club Brugge on November 22, Leicester managed to finish their group with 13 points and meet the criteria for the knock-out round unbeaten, ahead of Porto and Copenhagen. Ranieri was selected one of three contenders for the 2016 FIFA Men's Coach Honor in December; he won the award on January 9, 2017.

Ranieri was fired by Leicester on February 23, 2017, with the team one point above the relegation zone and 13 games left in the 2016–17 Premier League season.

Nantes

Nantes appointed Ranieri as their next manager on June 15, 2017. It was revealed before of Nantes' last game of the season that Ranieri will depart the club at the end of the season.

Fulham

Ranieri was named Fulham manager on November 14, 2018, succeeding Slavia Jokanovic. In his first match as Fulham's new manager, he guided the team to a thrilling 3–2 home victory against Southampton on November 24, ending Fulham's league winless streak that had lasted since September 22.

On February 28, 2019, Ranieri was fired as Fulham manager and replaced by then-assistant manager Scott Parker, after winning just three of his 17 games in command. Interestingly, Jokanovic was Ranieri's first Chelsea acquisition, while Parker was his last.

Roma

Ranieri returned to Roma on March 8, 2019, following an eight-year absence. He agreed to a deal that would keep him at Roma through the conclusion of the 2018–19 season, with the option of extending it at the end of the season.

On March 11, he returned to Roma and guided his side to a 2–1 home victory against Empoli. He led Roma to a 2–1 home victory against Parma in his last match for the club on May 26, although Roma were unable to qualify for the Champions League.

Sampdoria

On October 12, 2019, Ranieri signed a deal with Sampdoria that will keep him as the club's manager until 2021; the squad was in last position in Serie A at the time of his hiring.

At the conclusion of the season, he led them to fifteenth place. Following a ninth-place finish the following season, Ranieri stated that his contract would not be renewed and that he would leave the club.

Watford

Watford named Ranieri as their next head coach on a two-year deal on October 4, 2021.

Watford

were 15th in the Premier League at the time of the hiring, with two victories from seven games in their debut season back in the top level following a year in the Championship.

Claudio Ranieri social media

Regarding

Claudio Ranieri social media

, it should be mentioned that he does not have any pages on any social media platforms.

Claudio Ranieri body measurements

Speaking about

Claudio Ranieri body measurements

, it should be mentioned that the coach is 182 cm and 78 kg.

Claudio Ranieri net worth and salary

Claudio Ranieri’s net worth

is believed to be around £5 million. He owns a personal luxury vehicle, a large house, lives a lavish lifestyle, and travels across the globe, as shown by his daily social media posts and stories.

Claudio Ranieri’s feat in leading Leicester to the Premier League title was remarkable but so too is his salary by football standards. One of Statista’s recent infographics featured in the indy100 shows that Ranieri was paid £1.5 million this season, roughly the same amount as Alan Pardew at

Crystal Palace

.

Ranieri has reportedly received a £1.7 million bonus for winning the league and is due a new deal worth £3 million next year. However, he is still paid far less than Arsene Wenger or Louis van Gaal.

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