The decision was in the air. The fans expected it, after the salvation achieved by beating Sassuolo a match early. Claudio Ranieri, having accomplished yet another feat in his extraordinary career – which began in Cagliari in 1988 with the double promotion from C to A – leaves the rossoblù bench at the end of the season. In a video message to the fans, the 72-year-old Roman coach, however, makes no mention of his future.
Will he continue coaching or stop? There is certainly no shortage of offers. Even though Ranieri himself has said several times that Cagliari would be his last club and that perhaps he would continue to coach a national team. “Cagliari is and will always be your home. Forever grateful, Mister”, writes president Giulini’s club on the website, in a long post which retraces Ranieri’s career, with his many exploits. The first, in the 1988/89 season: promotion to Serie B. The last, just last Sunday. Victory at the Mapei Stadium 2-0 against Sassuolo and the Sardinians mathematically safe. Without waiting for the last day, against Fiorentina. Which at this point will become Ranieri day. With the whole stadium he will acclaim the miracle man. Across the Channel, in Leicester they know something about it. “My journey began in ’88. Three wonderful years, then I left and became great.
After the promotion to Serie A, which perhaps we didn’t expect so immediate when I arrived in January, it seems right to leave this salvation – says Ranieri -. It’s a painful, hard decision, made reluctantly but it’s right to leave now. I prefer to go like this and not maybe stay another year and things aren’t going well. I was already afraid to return, I was afraid of tarnishing the three years that I lived here and that filled my heart.
In moments of difficulty I clung to Cagliari and this happy island. And I didn’t want to come, then when I read Gigi Riva’s words (“Claudio is one of us”) I came back. I said to myself, let’s leave selfishness alone and go and take a risk. Now the time has come to leave us. I hope to be remembered as a positive person, who asked for help from the people of Cagliari and Sardinia, without them we wouldn’t have made it, the public was the extra man, they never abandoned us. I’ve had a wonderful year and a half. Thursday will be the last match and I will hug you warmly.”
Messages from many clubs
Claudio Ranieri today announced his farewell to Cagliari, but not yet his definitive farewell to football and his coaching activity, however some clubs he led during his long career still felt obliged to say goodbye to him, and thank him, via social media such as if he had already stopped. Thus, on “Proud to have been part of your long journey”, is the tweet from Sampdoria while “Thank you for everything, mister Ranieri” is that of Fiorentina.
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2024-05-21 21:27:57
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