Ranieri rejects offer to coach Italy on a quest to get back to the World Cup

ROME (AP) — Claudio Ranieri did not even want to try where Roberto Mancini and Gian Piero Ventura failed — to take four-time champion Italy back to the World Cup.

One of the most beloved coaches in Italian soccer, Ranieri said on Tuesday he declined to lead Italy’s already troubled bid to qualify for its first World Cup since 2014.

“I thank President (Gabriele) Gravina for the opportunity,” Ranieri told Italian agency ANSA on Tuesday about the offer to coach the Azzurri from the national soccer federation leader.

The job is vacant just five days after Italy began its qualifying campaign with a woeful 3-0 loss at group leader Norway.

Luciano Spalletti paid for that defeat with his job but was allowed to stay on for a 2-0 win late Monday over minnow Moldova.

The 73-year-old Ranieri seemed available after more impressive work coaching Roma — reviving the club since being hired midseason — by taking a front-office advisory role for Texas-based owners the Friedkin family.

“The Friedkins gave me their full support and support for any decision I made about the national team, but the decision is only mine,” Ranieri told ANSA.

Ranieri’s farewell from Roma fans was an emotional salute for a second straight season, having previously restored the fortunes of Cagliari, who he then guided to stay in Serie A.

Describing the Italy offer as “a great honor,” Ranieri said on Tuesday he “reflected and decided to remain at Roma’s disposal” with total commitment.

Ranieri’s four-decade career in coaching includes just four games as a national coach. His spell at Greece in 2014 lasted just a few months and was a rare failure.

His next job lifted his reputation even higher: Taking Leicester to an astonishing English Premier League title in 2016 with a team widely predicted to struggle against relegation.

By the time Ranieri was fired by Leicester in 2017, Italy had begun a 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign under Ventura that would end in a playoffs elimination by Sweden. Italy had earlier been runner-up to Spain in a qualifying group.

Back-to-back failures to qualify were sealed in March 2022, coached by Mancini. Then-European champion Italy had been group runner-up behind Switzerland then was stunningly beaten at home by North Macedonia in a playoffs semifinal.

Italy has less than three months to find a coach before hosting Estonia on Sept. 5 in five-team Group I.

Norway has won four straight games, with Erling Haaland scoring in each. Italy is nine points behind in third place two games extra to play. Israel is currently second.

Italy hosts Norway in the final round on Nov. 16. Only the group winner advances direct to the 2026 tournament co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. The runner-up enters playoff brackets next March.

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