Ranieri Jumps Ahead of the Queue for the Roma Opening | OneFootball

Claudio Ranieri has flown to London to meet with Roma owner Dan Friedkin and, if all goes according to plan, he’ll be announced as the new coach on Wednesday. The former Cagliari boss became the frontrunner after a series of refusals and complications, La Repubblica informed.

A few of the coaches contacted by the Giallorossi didn’t want to take over midseason. Others didn’t fully convince the decision-makers. A part of the management pushed to hire an Italian boss, and it appears to have persuaded the governor too

The decision came down to Ranieri and Vincenzo Montella, and, while Roma were willing to pay the €1.5M release clause to free up the latter, they would have had to wait a couple of weeks to usher in him due to Turkey’s upcoming Nations League matches. The 74-year-old should sign a contract till June with an option that could envisage a future front office role.

The Giallorossi plan to turn to the veteran manager because of his attachment to the team, which he coached twice and played for when he was a youngster, his expertise about the club and the city, and because he’s a widely beloved figure. He plotted to retire after his spell at Cagliari but recently revealed he was open to returning to the bench.

Our Take on Roma and Ranieri

He’s as good as it gets as a sort of caretaker manager, as he’ll stop the infighting and is one of the few who could appease the fanbase. On the other hand, it’s still early in the season, and, considering their economic firepower, it’s a bit disappointing that they haven’t been able to lure a top gaffer.