Ranieri appointed as new Roma head coach

Claudio Ranieri returned to manage his hometown club Roma on Thursday, ending his retirement to become the Serie A team’s third coach in a turbulent season.

The 73-year-old, who famously led Leicester City to the Premier League title in 2016, signed on until the season’s end before transitioning into a senior advisory role to support the club’s ownership on sporting decisions.

“The search for a permanent head coach will continue, with Claudio’s input on the process,” Roma announced.

Ranieri accepted the role following negotiations in London and was warmly greeted by fans at Rome’s Fiumicino airport upon his arrival.

He replaces Ivan Juric, who took over in September but was dismissed after a 3-2 home loss to Bologna.

Juric’s brief tenure resulted in just four wins across 12 games, leaving Roma languishing in 12th place in Serie A, a mere four points above the relegation zone.

Though Ranieri had previously stepped back from club management after guiding Cagliari to safety last season—expressing interest only in a national team role—he now returns to help Roma navigate a severe slump.

This marks Ranieri’s third spell as Roma’s head coach. He initially stepped in as a crisis manager in 2019, leading the team to a Europa League qualification after taking over from Eusebio Di Francesco.