Claudio Ranieri sees a similarity between his Chelsea side at the beginning of the Roman Abramovich era and Monza and believes the Serie A title race is ‘open’ for many clubs, including Lazio and Atalanta.
The Italian tactician, winner of a Premier League title with Leicester City in 2016, commented on the Serie A title race that sees six teams on top of the table with seven points each.
“It’s going to be a great campaign, as I had predicted. It’s soo good to see six teams up there, followed by Inter, Juventus and Fiorentina,” Ranieri told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“Everything is new because the World Cup will be played in November. So there are many games now. Clubs will need a new pre-season after the World Cup: one for those who played and one for those who didn’t,” he continued.
“Roma have only spent €7m for Celik this summer, but still managed to bring home many champions. It’s a pity for Wijnaldum’s injury, but Camara has arrived, not to mention Belotti, the kind of player fans would love. He runs and gives his all on the pitch. It’s the kind of player that fans love.”
Ranieri has coached many of Serie A’s top teams, including Inter, Juventus, Fiorentina and Roma.
“I know the environment and the passion of fans. Beware of Lazio, who had a great start, like Atalanta. The race for the Scudetto is open for many,” he said.
Including Roma?
“Of course, I like the Friedkins, they work hard and quietly. However, Roma should not underestimate the game with Monza, who are building an excellent team.
“Monza reminds me of my Chelsea side in the Abramovich era,” added Ranieri.
“We built a team throughout the season and it took time to make new players settle in. But in the end, we finished second and reached the Champions League semis. There are differences, but Berlusconi’s club can climb and they did the right thing by confirming Giovanni Stroppa.”
Ranieri spent four years in charge of Chelsea, including one during the Roma Abramovich era, the first one for the Russian oligarch at the helm of the Blues. A young José Mourinho replaced him in 2004 after Ranieri had won 107 games out of 199 in charge of the Blues.
Monza are going through their first-ever Serie A campaign but lost the opening three matches of the season. Tonight, they visit Roma at the Stadio Olimpico.