After returning to the Roma bench for the third time last fall, Claudio Ranieri faced an almost unprecedented challenge: pulling the Giallorossi back from the brink of relegation. With the capital club reeling from a horrible start to the season under Daniele De Rossi and Ivan Juric, Roma hovered three points above the relegation zone. True, it was only mid-November, but for a club that has faced the specter of Serie B once in its history, the panic seemed real.
With nowhere else to turn and few men foolish enough to take on the task, Roma lured Ranieri out of retirement and back to the Stadio Olimpico. After compiling a 22-7-7 record, including an incredible 19-game unbeaten streak, Ranieri led Roma to fifth place, one point shy of qualifying for the Champions League.
Advertisement
After rescuing Roma from the brink of disaster and bringing them as close to the CL as any coach in recent years, Ranieri was promoted last spring to a Senior Advisor position at the club. While that’s a pretty ambiguous job title, Ranieri’s role was, well, to advise; to help the Friedkins chart a path to sustained success.
The first step in that plan was to find someone to replace him on the sideline. While we now know that Gian Piero Gasperini was not the first choice for the job, combining his managerial abilities with Ranieri’s unique knowledge of Roma seemed like a recipe for success.
However, recent weeks have revealed flaws in that grand plan. Rumors of disagreements over the transfer strategy have emerged, and these internal debates soon made their way to the tabloids, with Gasperini suggesting his input was ignored last summer. Ranieri soon responded, stating that Gasperini approved of each new signing. This clash reached a boiling point earlier this month when Ranieri hinted that Gasperini was the club’s fourth choice for the job, prompting Gasperini’s emotional press ahead of last week’s draw with Atalanta.
And now, with the club embroiled in another off-field controversy that could force the Friedkin family to decide between their coach and their advisor, Ranieri appears to have taken the decision out of their hands. According to multiple sources in Italy, including sky sport and The rhythm, Ranieri is expected to resign from his position, with an announcement expected before this weekend’s Bologna match, if not before.
It would be a rather ignominious end for a man who has done so much for Roma, but an unfortunate one-year stint as an advisor can never overshadow all the good Ranieri has done for the club.