Ranieri leaves Roma after spat with coach Gasperini

Claudio Ranieri has left his role as senior advisor to Roma’s billionaire American owners, the Serie A club said on Friday, after a public row with coach Gian Piero Gasperini meant only one of the pair could stay.

In a brief statement, Roma said that “the relationship with Claudio Ranieri has ended”, and gave full backing to Gasperini who was brought to the club last summer in the hopes of ending a long absence from the Champions League.

“We have full confidence in the path ahead under Gian Piero Gasperini, with the shared objective of growing, improving, and delivering results worthy of our history,” added Roma.

Last summer, Gasperini left Atalanta after nine hugely successful years to replace Ranieri and was hailed by his predecessor in the dugout as the “right man” to take one of Italy’s best supported clubs to the top.

But their relationship fractured as Gasperini, a notoriously spiky character, publicly criticised Roma’s transfer activity and even suggested that he wasn’t involved in the purchase of some players.

Ranieri insisted before last weekend’s 3-0 thumping of Pisa that Gasperini was consulted for every signing since he arrived in June, and during the interview the 74-year-old suggested he could step aside after the end of the season.

That decision appears to have been made for him ahead of time, and brings to an end his role advising the Friedkin family after less than a year.

Ranieri, a born-and-bred Roman and lifelong Roma fan, moved upstairs last summer following his third spell in charge of the club, during which he came close to guiding his boyhood team into the Champions League after replacing Ivan Juric.

Roma haven’t played in Europe’s top club competition since being knocked out by Porto in the last 16 seven years ago and they have a battle on their hands to qualify this season.

Gasperini’s team sit sixth and five points behind Juventus, with five matches remaining and a trip to Bologna coming up on Saturday.

AFP