Claudio Ranieri on Italy job: 'Clubs better than national teams’
“At the beginning of my coaching career I was curious. I wanted to understand what football was really about. Everyone wants to be a manager and everyone thinks it is an easy job.”
“When I was a footballer I was very sensible I liked coaches who wanted to talk to their players and who wanted to be understood. That’s my main feature: I try to understand every player I coach, so that they can always give the best on the pitch.”
Ranieri has also talked about his experience as Inter boss in the 2011-2012 campaign.
“The problem was…we started the season too well!”
“We won seven games in a row and we were topping our Champions’ League group. The guys slowed down a bit afterwards and the situation became more and more complicated.”
“I’ve always been being on good terms with Massimo Moratti, even because I’ve always been very transparent with all my presidents. If they call me, I listen to them, if I like their project, I do everything I can to put into practice.”
“No one, however, can interfere with my work, nor trying to influence my decisions. I do not allow anyone to do that, because I never interfere with the others’ job.”
The former Juventus, AS Roma and Fiorentina boss has been linked with the Italy job, given that Antonio Conte will be appointed as Chelsea boss after EURO 2016. Ranieri has already coached Greece national team in 2014, but his first experience as a national team coach was everything but positive.
“Football reflects a country’s life-style and Greece was going through hard times in that moment.”
“Their senior national played a good World Cup in Brazil, but they needed a new generation to take over. That’s what happened to Italy too. I was going around looking for the best talents but I could only work my players for 12 days.”
“I couldn’t play one single friendly game in that time and I know also Antonio Conte has had a similar problem in Italy.”
“As a manager I want to see my players every by day, I need to understand them and help them becoming better players and good people.”
“I prefer leading a club team rather than a national team.”
“I have a three-year deal at Leicester and I am only focused on this. I want to make a great job for this club. Said that, everything can happen, never say never.”
Lorenzo Bettoni @lorebetto
