Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri won’t take the Italy job – “I was already burned in Greece”.
Antonio Conte will step down as CT of the Azzurri this summer, and it has been suggested that, after leading the Foxes to the brink of the Premier League title, Ranieri could replace him.
However, after being sacked by Greece after a disastrous run which included defeat to the Faroe Islands, the former Juventus Coach is done with international football.
Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri won’t take the Italy job – “I was already burned in Greece”.
Antonio Conte will step down as CT of the Azzurri this summer, and it has been suggested that, after leading the Foxes to the brink of the Premier League title, Ranieri could replace him.
However, after being sacked by Greece after a disastrous run which included defeat to the Faroe Islands, the former Juventus Coach is done with international football.
“The Italian national team?” Ranieri considered in an interview with Radio Deejay.
“It’s a closed chapter for me. I was already burned in Greece.”
Leicester are seven points clear at the top of the English Premier League with just five games to go, but Ranieri doesn’t believe they’re home and dry yet.
“We still have big games to play, like against Chelsea. However, we believe and we always want to maintain our seven point lead over second place.
“The fans’ chants about me? I’m taking them as positive, but I don’t understand them! I don’t know English that well. I can hear them saying ‘Ranieri’ and something else.
“I hope they’re praising me!”
Finally, the Coach was asked about his time in Italy, and insists his record is not as bad as some have tried to portray it.
“Maybe some forget that I did well in Italy,” Ranieri said.
“I took Juventus, fresh from promotion to Serie A, into third place. I did well with Parma and Fiorentina, and don’t forget that when Inter won the treble, I got more points with Roma than [Jose] Mourinho did [with Inter].
“I came in during the season, and from the point on I got a bigger points total than the Portuguese, and without the sub-par start to the League, the Giallorossi would have won the Scudetto.”