What Ranieri can learn from Ralf Rangnick at Man United in new Roma role | OneFootball

Claudio Ranieri has been officially appointed as head coach of Roma until the end of the 2024-25 season and will also step into an advisory role at the end of the campaign, which provides plenty of similarities to the appointment of Ralf Rangnick at Manchester United in the 2021-22 campaign.

Here is what the returning Ranieri can learn from the German’s experiences at Old Trafford.

Similarities between Ranieri and Rangnick appointments at Roma and Man United

Roma have confirmed that Ranieri has been appointed as head coach until the end of the 2024-25 season, and that he will then become a sporting advisor to the club’s ownership group at the end of the campaign.

ROME, ITALY – MARCH 11: AS Roma head coach Claudio Ranieri looks on during the Serie A match between AS Roma and Empoli at Stadio Olimpico on March 11, 2019 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images)

“At the conclusion of the season, Claudio will transition into a senior executive role, where he will be an adviser to the ownership on all sporting matters at the club. The search for a future coach will proceed over the next months. Claudio will have input in that decision as well,” a statement read.

Rangnick was appointed as the interim head coach of Manchester United following the dismissal of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in November 2021. He was due to complete the season as head coach and then move into a consultancy role for a further two years.

Rangnick and United eventually finished the season in sixth place with a tally of 58 points in 2021-22. Rangnick later left United to become head coach of the Austria national team, and as a result, he did not take on the previously-agreed consultancy role.

What Ranieri can learn from Rangnick’s United spell

Two key lessons spring to mind from Rangnick’s time at Manchester United.

Firstly, results mean everything. Rangnick’s time as head coach at Old Trafford ended underwhelmingly, and the mood by the end of the campaign had arguably worsened rather than improved under his watch.

Ranieri is a Roman native and someone who has already coached the club twice previously and represented them as a player, and therefore will likely be afforded more patience at the Olimpico than Rangnick had at Old Trafford.

However, there are only so many poor results that the supporters will be prepared to put up with, and so, steadying the ship on the pitch is certainly Ranieri’s priority at Roma.

Another thing that Ranieri can learn from Rangnick is the fact that a club statement is not necessarily an official guarantee.

Rangnick’s time as an advisor at Old Trafford ended before it had even begun, largely due to the mood surrounding his tenure, but also due to his public, albeit constructive criticism of the club, its leadership and its place among the ‘top clubs’ in England at the time.

Like at Man United, Roma’s owners have also shown that they are prepared to backtrack on their word if required. An example of that is the three-year contract extension handed to Daniele De Rossi just a few months before his dismissal.

Ranieri will need to make sure that results improve on the pitch and hope that the mood surrounding the club and his appointment is positive by the start of the summer.

What next for Ranieri and Roma?

Ranieri has already got to work at Trigoria. The 73-year-old was seen arriving at the training ground on Thursday afternoon, ready to take his first training session.

Ranieri has just over a week to prepare for a baptism of fire. After the international break, Roma will face the league leaders Napoli away at the Stadio Maradona, before a tough Europa League trip away at Tottenham and then another tricky match at home to Atalanta at the beginning of December.

The Giallorossi currently sit in 12th place in the Serie A table with 13 points from their first 12 league matches of the 2024-25 campaign.