Ranieri says he won’t retire on one condition

Claudio Ranieri does not confirm he will leave football but says he won’t coach another club after Cagliari and may only consider offers from national teams.

Ranieri will make his final Serie A appearance tonight in a Serie A match between Cagliari and Fiorentina at the Unipol Domus.

The experienced Italian tactician led the Sardinians to an impressive promotion, which they mathematically secured last week with a 2-0 win over Sassuolo.

There were reports that the ex-Chelsea and Leicester City boss would have retired after leaving Cagliari at the end of the season, but Ranieri didn’t confirm it, saying that he may only consider offers from national teams.

Ranieri says he won’t retire on one condition

“When I joined Cagliari I said I’d finish my career as a club coach here,” Ranieri told Sky Sport.

“If tomorrow, a national team, not necessarily Italy, comes and triggers me, I can say yes, but I won’t coach another club.”

Is he thinking about some countries that may fail at the Euros?

“I don’t know. Surely, I’ve closed the clubs’ door, and if a national team asks, ‘Why not?’ I’ll do it. I believe in the destiny of men and in my destiny. I wanted to inaugurate the new Cagliari stadium when I arrived, but it may not be done [soon].

“Then, inside me, I thought I must end well because if we are relegated I must leave. Then I realised I would leave anyway, even if things ended well, because, at that point, a cycle would be closed with three promotions and two survivals. I am a lucky man. I must finish like this.”

Ranieri coached Cagliari twice in his career, first from 1988 to 1991, when he brought the Rossoblu from Serie C1 to Serie A and then from January 2023. He achieved another promotion to Serie A last season and avoided relegation this term.