Claudio Ranieri takes over Club Italy and announces reform of the academies

Claudio Ranieri returned from a announced retirement to accept a dual role within the structure of Italian football: he is now president and technical director of the organization Club Italy, with oversight of the youth teams and academies across the country.

The well-known coach, who in his career has led clubs such as Roma, Chelsea and Leicester City, said he will work on reforms that will renew Italians' connection to football and reorganize the system for developing young footballers.

New phase after Maldini's short tenure

“This is the crown of my career. I couldn't believe it when I received the call from Giovanni Malagò. I was on the beach, as you can see from my tan. I know the situation is difficult, but my coaching career shows that I know how to deal with problems. I never backed down,” Ranieri said at the joint press conference.

The appointment follows the short period in which the role was assigned to Paolo Maldini — he was appointed less than three weeks ago, but the collaboration ended after disagreements over the selection of a new coach. Now Roberto Mancini has returned to the bench; he was presented alongside Ranieri.

Ranieri pointed out that Italy is still strong in team tactics, but that other countries pay more attention to individual technique among young players. He also identified financial barriers as a serious problem — while he was at Cagliari, he learned that many families cannot afford to enroll their children in football schools and said that must change.

“Two things are key. The first is for people to fall in love with football again. The second is for children, like my twelve-year-old grandson, to finally see Italy at the World Cup, because he never experienced that,” Ranieri added, stressing that the long-term goal is the return of mass interest and the renewal of talent academies.

Photo: AC Roma (X)