Cagliari Head Coach Ranieri Announces Retirement

Cagliari head coach Claudio Ranieri has announced that he will officially step down at the end of the season and retire.

In an interview with Cagliari's official channel, Ranieri said: "My journey began in 1988. We had three great years together, with two promotions and one season staying up, and then I left. Since then, I have grown a lot. After last year's promotion—which, to be honest, when I arrived in January, we didn't expect it to happen so quickly—and securing safety this year, I must say it was in the last second of the last game when I decided. At that moment, I was thinking about Pavoletti's 94th-minute goal (referring to last season's Serie B promotion playoff final win against Bari). But I have made my decision. Now is the right time to leave. Even though I signed a three-year contract, it's time to go. I do so with a heavy heart because it is a difficult and painful decision."

"I prefer to leave now rather than face possible difficulties next year. You all know how afraid I was to return to Cagliari because I didn't want to tarnish those initial three years here. I would have blamed myself. I wanted to hold onto this island of happiness and not ruin everything. That's why I initially didn't want to come back, despite many people wanting me to return. Then I saw Riva's words. He said Claudio is one of us, and if he wants to come, he knows we will support him here. So, I finally decided to come back. I told myself, 'Let's set aside selfish feelings and take the risk.'"

"So, I risked ruining everything by coming back, but now it's truly time to say goodbye. I hope to be remembered as someone who sought the support of Cagliari fans positively. Without them, we couldn't have done any of this. Cagliari fans have always been our 12th man. Even in the toughest times, they never gave up. Whether last year or this year, they always believed in us and supported us without complaint. I will forever be grateful to you. You made this wonderful year and a half possible. I am proud of you, and I hope I can represent Cagliari and the whole of Sardinia. I sincerely thank you all. This Thursday will be our last match, and I will embrace you with warmth."

In fact, Ranieri offered his resignation back in February due to poor performance, but the club did not accept it. After that, he led Cagliari to secure safety. Ranieri had previously stated that he would retire after this stint with Cagliari, and now he is just one game away from bidding farewell to football—his final Serie A home match against his former club, Fiorentina.

Ranieri's managerial career began at Cagliari in 1988. Within two years, he achieved consecutive promotions, moving the club from Serie C to Serie A. After securing safety in the third year, he left Cagliari and went on to manage several clubs, including a brief stint with the Greek national team. Due to his frequent mid-season takeovers, he earned the nickname "The Tinkerman."

Of course, Ranieri's most legendary experience was his time at Leicester City. Taking over in the summer of 2015 after Leicester narrowly avoided relegation, he led the "Foxes" to the famous "Leicester City miracle," winning the Premier League title that season.

Ranieri's second spell at Cagliari was also filled with a sense of legend. When he took over in December 2022, Cagliari was 14th in Serie B. They finished the regular season in 5th place, making the promotion playoffs, where they defeated Venezia and Parma. In the second leg of the promotion playoff final against Bari, Cagliari secured their Serie A spot with Pavoletti's dramatic winning goal in the dying moments.