Ranieri, the choice of the heart: he could have returned to Serie A, but he preferred Cagliari
Three-year period worth 1.5 million per season, and he has already achieved a first result: restoring enthusiasm to the environment
He could have returned to Serie A, but Claudio Ranieri made the choice of his heart and decided to start over from Serie B. From the team that launched him into the football that counts, in that Sardinia that still loves him today and in which the memory of what happened between the end of the 80s and the beginning of the 90s remains indelible.
Arrived in the summer of 1988 from Campania Puteolana, in two years sir Claudio leads the rossoblù to the historic double promotion from C to A , complete with the Coppa Italia Serie C won and splendid salvation in the top flight.
Thirty years have passed: between Naples, Fiorentina, Rome, Juve, Parma and Sampdoria in Italy; Valencia, Atletico Madrid, Fulham, Chelsea, Nantes, the Greek national team and the masterpiece of the triumph in the premier with the freshman Leicester.
Last experience, not really to remember, still in the Premier League with Watford. But Ranieri, even after the masterpiece Leicester, has always declared his love for Cagliari and Sardinia.
And here it is again, more than thirty years later. Where it all began: the official announcement came last night, after a close court session by Giulini and his men. The club welcomed him back and Sir Claudio signed a contract until June 2025 . A three-year contract worth 1.5 million per season, a sum above the average for the division, a significant economic effort for the club . But the president only wanted him, the man of the "resurrection".
Ranieri will take charge of the team from January 1st, but he has already achieved a first result. That of restoring enthusiasm to a depressed environment , which in the last home match (won against Perugia) openly challenged the coach.
Sir Claudio called the fans together in his first statements after his official arrival: «I'm not enough on my own, the help of the club that really wanted me will be needed, the work I'll ask of my new boys will be necessary , our fans will be needed, especially them, to push our Cagliari to the results that we all strongly hope for ».
We need to reverse the course of a season which, at the moment and against all odds, sees the rossoblùs closer to the playout area (three points) than to the playoff area (four lengths away) .
Roberto Muzzi will be on the bench on 26 December, at the Domus the Sardinians host Cosenza bottom of the standings . Then the new Ranieri era can begin.
(Unioneonline/L)
