Claudio Ranieri discussed his desire to continuing coaching, his career and thoughts on Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti.
The 70-year-old Italian coach, who famously won the Premier League title with Leicester City in the 2015-16 season, has been out of work since January of this year, when he left Watford after a brief three and a half month spell at the club. Before that Ranieri spent almost two years in charge of Sampdoria.
Speaking to Radio Marca, Ranieri first commented on his desire to return to the bench.
“I hope a good project will be proposed to me, I really want to continue coaching. I’m not looking for a particular team.”
He spoke about what football means to him.
“It’s like a drug for the adrenaline that gets into your blood. You always have to do your best for your team, for your fans, for the players, for society, for the whole world.
“Being without football is like sleeping and I don’t like that, I always want to be awake watching all the games.”
The 70-year-old Italian coach reflected on his long career and the pressures of being a coach.
“Fortunately my career as a coach has been better than as a footballer. And it’s longer, even if it’s more difficult to be a coach than a player, because the coach is responsible for everything.
“You have to manage everything well, if it goes wrong the club loses money and the affection of the fans diminishes.”
Finally, Ranieri gave his thoughts on Ancelotti, who guided Real Madrid to the La Liga title and the Champions League last season.
“It is normal that Ancelotti beats my records, he has been in Spain for many years. He is a phenomenal coach, few have won like him.
“He is a careful coach with his players and creates a very pleasant atmosphere. Everyone has a lot of respect for him, those who play and those who don’t, and that means he is a great person.”
Ranieri oversaw 72 games for Sampdoria between October 2019 and June 2021, averaging 1.31 points per match.