«I would like to conclude my career well in Cagliari. If then there was a good national team, why not? ». So Sor Sor Claudio Ranieri spoke to Christian family at the beginning of the 2023 championship. Then came the salvation of Cagliari and it seemed that the son of the butcher of the Testaccio had “either closed” he had closed the shop. But then he knocked again, Roma from the bottom of the well, the team of his heart. He has never hidden it, even if on the precise question he replied: «I am a serious professional, while training a team, my faith is that. But the child who is in me cannot betray what has always been. “
It has not betrayed him, on the contrary he did what he always does from a very long career: he fished it from the bottom of the well and relaunched at the top, until he touched access to the Champions League. When he took it, his beloved Rome was in 12th place, just 4 points above the relegation, at the end of the championship he was in the fifth. And from the moment of his arrival no one has made more points than Rome in Serie A: from then on the Giallorossi have scored 56 points playing on an equal footing (exactly on the same 56 points too) of Naples and Inter that the Scudetto on the last day were played. It was almost obvious that when it was decided, perhaps late (it would have been better to do it at the end of a cycle, the exit from the European Championship with Switzerland), to change the course of Italy defeated 3-0 in the qualifications for the next World Cup, and to fire Spalletti in the race, the man of dreams, of miracles, of the desperate companies became possible: Ranieri, juxtaposed, that a national team had also hoped for him as a match.
Two days and two nights ago the national team that had been proposed to him was his, perhaps in his heart he would also have desired Rainieri. But there was a regulation that would not provide for the double role (Ranieri has one like Senior Advisor), Article 40 of the Technical Sector Regulations, which in paragraph 4 establishes: “The coaches responsible for the national teams of the FIGC and their deputy during the same sporting season, cannot be registered or, independently of the membership, to carry out activities by company, not even with different tasks, unless the economic contract has not been resolved
Then it was discovered that the legal issue could be resolved since the relationship between Ranieri and Roma is of consultancy and therefore does not provide for a membership. Roma had given the clearance to the double assignment, but it would have meant a lot of reducing the things that Ranieri could have done for the club, because they are incompatible with the role of CT. Ranieri thought about it and then he dictated the Ansa: “I thank President Gravina for the opportunity, a great honor, but I reflected and I decided to remain available to Rome in my new assignment in a total way. The Friedkin gave me their full support and support for any decision I had made regarding the national team, but the decision is only mine », as always taking on responsibility.
Rumors want to arrive in Gravina on the night of two days ago this message: «Sorry president, I can’t do it. I gave my word to Dan Friedkin ».
For two days, commentators, coaches, sportsmen more or less from an armchair are married: can you say no to the national team? The answer is as always depends: if the no is the act of a gentleman who, at 73 years and an ongoing contract, believes he must maintain the word date you canbecause it is a gesture of correctness consistent with the person who performs it. Then of course, it can also be understood that Claudio Ranieri at first has launched and thought of saying yes because in his heart he may have liked to take Italy in the running, and try to save the homeland this time not only not only metaphorically.
Maybe it would also have been nice if Friedkin, who had also given the ok to the double assignment, had taken paper, pen, calamaio or any other electronic devils that replaces them, and had returned the gallantry, writing something like: “Mister, go, take Italy that you deserve you, collect this challenge, and then go back here: your yellow and red jersey, which you have not betrayed, and that you have been waiting for you, warm ». A fairytale ending.
But if a fairytale ending would be to ask a club president too much that has a renovation project in progress of which Ranieri is part, and above all if the federation with water in the throat after 3-0, fired Luciano Spalletti without a plan B already written in the pocket, It is not that the line of the traitor of the homeland to Claudio Ranieri who, after having evaluated, was able to take responsibility for a “uncomfortable” no “to not remade the word given. Also because if tomorrow Claudio Ranieri took Italy and if, on the case, he could not extract the usual rabbit from the cylinder, they would probably be the same ones who today attack him for the “no, thanks” to reproach him for having wanted too much and not having been up to it.
