Claudio Ranieri is ready to take charge of his first Roma training session in his third stint at the Stadio Olimpico today, and reports in Italy suggest he will use a 4-4-2 or 3-5-2 system against Napoli after the break, starting Mats Hummels.

The 73-year-old returned to the capital on Wednesday after reaching an agreement with club owner Dan Friedkin in London. He was welcomed by over 200 Giallorossi fans at Fiumicino airport.

His Roma side sit 12th in the Serie A table, just four points above the drop zone. Their next opponents after the international break are table leaders Napoli, coached by Antonio Conte.

How Roma could line up under Ranieri

Corriere dello Sport and Sky Sport Italia report that Ranieri will field a 4-4-2 or 3-5-2 formation against the Partenopei. Hummels’ return to the starting XI will be the most significant change from Ivan Juric’s era.

The German centre-back has only played 23 minutes since joining the Giallorossi on a free transfer last summer and didn’t even start when Evan N’dicka was unavailable against Union Saint-Gilloise last week.

The former Borussia Dortmund star is expected to join N’Dicka and Mancini in a three-man defence or form a four-man defence with the addition of Angelino as a left-back.

Alexis Saelemaekers is expected to return to action this month, boosting Ranieri’s options on the right flank, while Lorenzo Pellegrini could be deployed as a left winger in a 4-4-2 system or as a central midfielder in a 3-5-2 formation.

Claudio Ranieri was greeted by hundreds of Roma supporters on his return from a meeting with club owner Dan Friedkin in London, as he accepted his third stint as their coach.

There were at least 200 fans waiting at Fiumicino Airport for Ranieri to emerge from his plane, where they placed a scarf across his shoulders.

The 73-year-old had announced his retirement over the summer after taking Cagliari to promotion from Serie B and then securing their Serie A status.

However, he was tempted to come back onto the bench by the call of his beloved Giallorossi, where he had already worked from September 2009 to February 2011, then returning as caretaker from March to June 2019.

He becomes their fourth coach of the calendar year, as Jose Mourinho was fired in January, Daniele De Rossi followed in September and Ivan Juric lasted under two months.

Ranieri had also spoken to news agency ANSA at the airport in London, where he had met with club owner Dan Friedkin this afternoon.

When it was pointed out to him that this team was in a terrible bother, he replied: “That’s why they called me! Get ready, the cavalry is here!”

His first training session will be on Thursday afternoon at Trigoria.

Roma fans welcome Ranieri back home

FOLLIA ROMANISTA PER IL RITORNO DI CLAUDIO #RANIERI
Oltre 150 tifosi impazziti per il nuovo mister giallorosso a Fiumicino@francescoiucca  pic.twitter.com/gpq6WfuTeM

— calciomercato.it (@calciomercatoit) November 13, 2024

Claudio #Ranieri è tornato a Roma!

pic.twitter.com/CUFkDT4WfS

— Il Romanista (@ilRomanistaweb) November 13, 2024

Claudio Ranieri confirmed to reporters he has taken the Roma job, joking the fact it was a huge problem was ‘why they called me. Ready! Here comes the cavalry!’

The coach flew out to London late last night and met club owner Dan Friedkin this afternoon, where he accepted the role and agreed personal terms.

It will be a contract to the end of the current campaign, with reports Ranieri will then be given a position on the board of directors from next season.

Ranieri reassures Roma supporters

He was at the airport on his way back to Rome this evening when stopped by reporters from news agency ANSA.

They told him this was “a tough problem to deal with” at the troubled team.

“That’s why they called me,” replied Ranieri with a smile.

He then added a call to arms for the Giallorossi supporters, most commonly one associated with the arrival of the ‘good guys’ in a Western to save the day.

“Ready! Here comes the cavalry!”

This will be the third different stint at the helm for the 73-year-old, who was born and bred a Roma supporter.

His previous spells were from September 2009 to February 2011, then returning as caretaker from March to June 2019.

Roma will have four different coaches in 2024, following Jose Mourinho, Daniele De Rossi and Ivan Juric.

Claudio Ranieri has agreed terms to take over as Roma coach until the end of the season and will have his first training session tomorrow.

Multiple sources including Sky Sport Italia, Sportitalia, La Gazzetta dello Sport and more all confirmed the news, as they expect a formal announcement this evening.

The veteran flew out to London late last night and met with club owner Dan Friedkin this afternoon.

They discussed their plans for the rest of the campaign and agreed terms, so Ranieri has signed the contract to June 30, 2025.

Ranieri takes over troubled Roma

He becomes the fourth coach of the calendar year for the Giallorossi, as Jose Mourinho was sacked in January, then Daniele De Rossi on September 18.

Ivan Juric lasted under two months, dismissed after four wins, three draws and five defeats between Serie A and the Europa League.

This will be Ranieri’s third different stint at Roma after September 2009 to February 2011, then returning as caretaker from March to June 2019.

He turned 73 last month and had announced his retirement in June after taking Cagliari to promotion from Serie B and then securing their place in the top flight.

Roma midfielder Leandro Paredes claimed he was ‘very happy’ at the Stadio Olimpico until he worked under coach Daniele De Rossi, adding that he’s living his life ‘day by day’ waiting for his club to change manager ‘again’.

The former Paris Saint-Germain player joined the Giallorossi for a third time in the summer of 2023 and played 49 games across all competitions under José Mourinho and his replacement De Rossi, but things quickly changed when the latter was also sacked at the beginning of the current season.

Paredes was ‘happy’ until De Rossi was replaced by Juric at Roma

The 30-year-old has started only one game in the Europa League since Juric took over the Italian coach in mid-September, and now that the Giallorossi are about to hire Claudio Ranieri as their fourth manager in 2024 he made clear how De Rossi’s sacking marked a turning point in his season.

“I live my life and my career day by day,” Paredes told ESPN ahead of Argentina’s Copa America fixtures during the international break.

“Obviously, there were a lot of rumours, but I only think about my club. I was very happy until De Rossi was here, then the manager thing happened. Now, we change again…”

With Juric at the helm, Paredes was mostly dropped in favour of Manu Koné and Enzo Le Fée, only racking up four Serie A appearances as a substitute since September.

The imminent return of Claudio Ranieri to the Roma bench has once and for all confirmed the club has no plan, writes Susy Campanale.

So much was expected of the Friedkin family when they took over at the Stadio Olimpico, who did seem to take the right approach within the very limited Financial Fair Play parameters they had been given after decades of mismanagement. However, the last 10 months have made it obvious that if there had been a course plotted out, the rudder has broken off and they are now randomly going round in circles while the boat takes on water.

You could say it all went wrong with Jose Mourinho’s sacking in January, but I would argue he had spotted the basic issue long before that, he just went a typically pig-headed way about calling it out. Mou complained that he was the only ‘voice’ of the club in the media and therefore had to do far more than simply the job of coach. During the brief Daniele De Rossi era, and above all since his dismissal, it has become evident that nobody really knows who is in charge at Roma or what their ideas are.

This kind of hiding in the shadows is more common in the Premier League from club owners, but in Italy we have several newspapers, radio and television stations entirely dedicated to football, often specifically to one single team. They need to fill all that space with something and when you have four coaches in a calendar year, there is nobody who can represent stability.

Nobody represents Roma vision

The last week has been a case in point. Dan and Ryan Friedkin have never spoken to the Italian media. Their CEO Lina Souloukou resigned after De Rossi was sacked in September, not that she particularly gave interviews either. Current Roma director Florent Ghisolfi has tried to give a couple of on-camera interviews, but only speaks French. The one thing he assured after the Ivan Juric dismissal was that they were looking for a ‘long-term project’ – so naturally they coax a 73-year-old out of retirement as caretaker to the end of the season. This is the level of consistent messaging we are dealing with here.

If you saw our reporting on the list of potential Roma coaches to take over from Juric and thought they all had absolutely nothing in common, then you are in the same boat as we are. This scattergun approach to seeking tacticians proves there is no plan here, not just no idea of how they are getting to the objective, but simply no clue what the target is even supposed to be. This is beyond ‘concepts of a plan,’ we don’t even get those. It’s more than confusing – it’s confused.

When Inter were run by Suning, one always had the impression it was really Beppe Marotta pulling the strings and giving that sense of stability. This is why they were able to switch to Oaktree without anyone noticing a difference. Roma do not have anyone close to that mould and Milan are frankly lacking too, but not to the same degree.

Ranieri represents a safe pair of hands who can calm the fans and players down, but it’s just kicking that can down the road. Until Roma have someone who can take charge and responsibility, truly representing and outlining the vision behind the club’s future, they will always be lost at sea.

Roma’s economic effort to put a third manager on their payroll for the 2024-2025 season will see them spend the equivalent of a top coach’s wage, despite their team being just four points above the relegation zone.

The Giallorossi look set to hire Claudio Ranieri, whose deal should last until the end of the current season, although there are chances that the Italian tactician remains at the club even after his contract’s expiration as a board member.

Roma owners to have three coaches on their payroll: how much they will spend

However, it is likely the Friedkin family will try to lower Ranieri’s demands as much as possible, considering the contracts of previous managers Daniele De Rossi and Ivan Juric are still running.

The new coach’s salary will add to De Rossi’s €3.3m seasonal wage to be paid until 2027 and a further remuneration of €2m for Ivan Juric, whose deal lasts until June 2025.

As reported by Calciomercato.com, it means that the Giallorossi owners will spend more than €5m this season for their managers, in addition to Ranieri’s salary, unless De Rossi and Juric find a new club.

De Rossi’s contract was extended at the end of last season, but he was then sacked after failing to win any of his first four Serie A games in charge in the new campaign, with his successor Juric picking up Roma’s only three league victories so far from eight matches at the helm.

Sky Sport Italia spotted Dan Friedkin in a London hotel before a meeting with Claudio Ranieri.

Roma owner Friedkin is ready to meet experienced Italian coach Ranieri in London today.

Picture: Roma owner Friedkin prepares to meet Ranieri in London

The two parties haven’t yet reached a formal agreement, but several sources, including Sky Sport and Gazzetta, are confident that Ranieri will return to Roma this evening with his contract signed.

A former coach and player for Roma, Ranieri is expected to sign a contract until the end of the season and could enter the club’s board in the summer of 2025.

Ranieri is set to become the third Roma coach this season after Daniele De Rossi and Ivan Juric.

Dan #Friedkin è stato ripreso dalle telecamere di Sky Sport mentre usciva da un hotel di Londra. A breve è previsto l’incontro con Claudio #Ranieri che vuole delle garanzie dalla proprietà. In serata è atteso il suo ritorno nella Capitale!#ASRoma pic.twitter.com/YPndbLgXyS

— Forzaroma.info (@forzaroma) November 13, 2024

Claudio Ranieri’s decision to return from retirement to take charge of a struggling Roma side should not come as a surprise, considering he had already said in the past that ‘when Roma call’ he has ‘to say yes’.

When Ranieri said he had to ‘say yes’ to Roma

The former Leicester manager already coached the Giallorossi twice, with his last stint coming in 2019, when he took over the fired Eusebio Di Francesco with the Stadio Olimpico outfit chasing a Champions League spot.

He had been just sacked by Fulham back then and, while he admitted that he would’ve ‘never’ signed for any other club at that moment, he couldn’t turn down an offer from the club of the city where he was born.

‘Returning to Rome is always special, above all for Roman people, for Roma fans,” he said in his first press conference as Roma coach in 2019.

‘The emotion couldn’t be higher. I would’ve never signed for any other club, but Roma, if they call, I have to say yes.’

How Ranieri’s two previous stints at Roma went

Ranieri‘s first experience as Roma coach had come in 2009 when he replaced Luciano Spalletti at the beginning of the season before going toe to toe with José Mourinho’s Inter in a thrilling title fight that would last until the final Serie A day.

The Giallorossi missed out on the Scudetto, finishing two points behind Inter, and they failed to bring their form into the following season, which saw Ranieri resign in February 2011 after watching his side throw away a first-half 3-0 lead at Genoa to lose 4-3.

However, the ‘Tinkerman’ returned to Roma in 2019 as an interim manager, although he failed to significantly revive the team who had been struggling under Di Francesco, as he only slightly improved their Serie A point average.

Ranieri would leave at the end of that season after steering the Giallorossi to a 6th-place finish, earning them a spot in the Europa League.

The coach was in tears in his final home match at the helm against Parma, but is now set to get a new chance to revive the fortunes of the club he’s always supported, who currently sit 12th in Serie A, having won only three of their opening 12 games of the season under previous managers Daniele De Rossi and Ivan Juric.

La Repubblica newspaper claims Vincenzo Montella didn’t reach an agreement with Roma, while Frank Lampard didn’t convince the board and Massimiliano Allegri was not interested in the role.

Roma are set to appoint Ranieri as their caretaker coach until the end of the season.

Gazzetta dello Sport and Sky Sport Italia claim the experienced tactician is expected in the capital on Wednesday late afternoon and should take charge of his first Roma training session on Thursday.

Ranieri has already coached Roma twice in his career and played for the Giallorossi as a footballer.

Why Roma picked Ranieri over Allegri, Montella and Lampard

The former Cagliari boss met Dan and Ryan Friedkin in London, but Repubblica confirmed that the Roma owners had considered other candidates before calling Ranieri.

Massimiliano Allegri wasn’t interested in the role, especially at such a challenging moment for Roma, while Lampard didn’t fully convince the club owners. The former England international is now expected to take charge of Coventry City.

Montella had emerged as the leading candidate to replace Juric, but according to Repubblica, the former Giallorossi striker would not have been ready for Roma before a week as he was preparing for Turkey national team games against Wales and Montenegro.

Also, Roma only offered the Aeroplanino a one-year and a half contract, while Montella demanded a three-year deal.

Ranieri is expected to sign a contract until the end of the season before becoming a club director.

Claudio Ranieri is set to become Roma’s fourth coach in 2024, and according to Gazzetta, he could join the club’s board at the end of the season.

According to reports, Ranieri and agent Pietro Chiodi flew out to London on Tuesday to meet the Giallorossi owners, who finally seem to have made up their minds on who should succeed the sacked Ivan Juric on Roma’s bench.

Vincenzo Montella seemed to be the leading candidate for the job, but his contract with the Turkish Football Federation would’ve complicated negotiations, persuading Dan and Ryan Friedkin to look at alternative options, with Ranieri being on their list since the beginning.

Details of Ranieri’s contract with Roma revealed

La Gazzetta dello Sport reported that Ranieri and Chiodi are negotiating the terms of a deal that would bring the 73-year-old back to Roma as a caretaker manager for six months, also including a ‘likely’ future in the Giallorossi’s board, as the club are desperate to find a reference point with experience in Italian football.

Unless something unexpected occurs, Ranieri should travel back to Rome on Wednesday evening with his contract signed, as he’d be ready to hold his first training session on Thursday.

The former Leicester coach had announced his departure from Cagliari and retirement from professional football after steering the Rossoblu to safety last season and recently eluded questions about a possible return to the Giallorossi.

According to reports in Italy, Claudio Ranieri has flown to London for talks with the Friedkin family for his third different stint as Roma coach.

The tactician had announced his retirement after taking Cagliari to Serie A and helping them to avoid relegation last season.

He celebrated his 73^rd birthday last month, but could be tempted back to work in order to rescue his beloved Roma.

According to Tuttomercatoweb and Sky Sport Italia, Ranieri has flown out to London this evening along with agent Pietro Chiodi and has a meeting lined up with Dan and Ryan Friedkin, who will make the decision on who to hire in place of Ivan Juric.

Ranieri a different direction for Roma

This would inevitably represent a shift in the approach taken by director Florent Ghisolfi, who had said the choice of next coach would be a “long-term” project.

Instead, Ranieri could be a caretaker until the end of this season, giving them time to work out a new plan.

He grew up a supporter of his hometown club and was already their coach from 2009 to February 2011, then again from March to June 2019.

Vincenzo Montella had been the favourite, but he is under contract with the Turkish Football Federation.

Roma have had three different coaches in 2024, firing Jose Mourinho in January, Daniele De Rossi in September and Ivan Juric in November.

There are suggestions Italy international Federico Chiesa could return to Serie A, potentially for Milan or Roma, on loan in January to regain his form after Liverpool problems.

The 27-year-old made the transfer to Anfield Road for €12m plus bonuses on deadline day, as his contract was running down at Juventus.

Among the reasons the club did not want to pay for a new deal was his terrible injury record and that has proved a fair concern, because he has barely featured in the Reds jersey.

He made only three appearances for Liverpool, totalling 78 minutes of football, but still provided an assist.

Chiesa struggling for fitness at Liverpool

According to Calciomercato.com, the key to getting Chiesa back in shape could be sending him on a six-month loan in January.

Milan and Roma would be well-suited to his characteristics, depending of course on who is the coach of the Giallorossi following the decision to sack Ivan Juric.

If it was a loan, then Liverpool could be prepared to share some of the €7.5m per season salary, making him more affordable for the Serie A sides.

Roma have reportedly postponed the return to training until Thursday, as they seem no closer to finding a new coach to replace Ivan Juric.

The Giallorossi announced that Juric had been fired within an hour of their 3-2 home defeat to Bologna on Sunday.

This means they are looking for their fourth coach of the calendar year, having sacked Jose Mourinho in January and Daniele De Rossi in September.

The original plan had been for players to return to training at the Trigoria ground tomorrow, given time off for the break for international duty.

However, Calciomercato.it report that now the squad has been told the gates will remain locked and they don’t need to return to work until Thursday.

Roma still without a tactician

There probably will not be a new coach in place there either, because the net continues to be cast far and wide.

The Turkish Football Federation shot down suggestions Roma could poach Vincenzo Montella, while Roberto Mancini remains a potential candidate.

Although some sources point towards ex-Lazio boss Maurizio Sarri, Alfredo Pedullà of Sportitalia is confident there has been no contact with him.

The search would seem to be going abroad, including former Chelsea man Graham Potter, Frank Lampard and recently sacked Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag.

A potential return for Rudi Garcia is another option, though Edin Terzic is reportedly not too enthusiastic about the idea.

A representative of the Turkish Football Federation has responded to reports Roma will poach manager Vincenzo Montella. ‘It is not happening.’

The Giallorossi pulled the plug on Ivan Juric following Sunday’s home defeat to Bologna and are seeking their fourth different coach of the calendar year after Jose Mourinho and Daniele De Rossi.

Montella has emerged as one of the candidates for the role, with the Corriere dello Sport suggesting Roma could activate a release clause in his contract with Turkey.

Turkey hold on to Roma target Montella

In response, Fanatik contacted Turkish Football Federation board member Ceyhun Kazanci.

“This is not happening,” he replied.

“We have a contract with Montella until the end of the 2026 World Cup. He is very happy here and 100 per cent focused.

“There is nothing more natural than the names of successful coaches being mentioned in links with some big clubs, but he will be with us until the end of the 2026 World Cup.”

Check the latest updates on the Roma situation

Montella has been in charge of the Turkey squad since September 2023 and so far has overseen nine victories, three draws and five defeats.

He also started his coaching career at Roma, first with the youth team from 2009-11, then for a brief 16-match spell from February to June 2011 he was the head coach of the senior squad.

His experience with the Giallorossi was primarily as a player from 1999 to 2007.

Roma are assessing several options before making a final decision on Ivan Juric’s successor, but Erik ten Hag and Frank Lampard don’t seem to be what the Giallorossi need at the moment.

The list of names linked with the Roma job includes former Manchester United coach Erik Ten Had and ex-Chelsea managers Frank Lampard and Graham Potter. Still, another part of the club’s management, notably sporting director Florient Ghisolfi, believes an Italian tactician with a proven track in Serie A would better suit what the team needs at the moment.

Why Ten Hag and Lampard would be high-risk solutions at Roma

In fact, Juric’s brief stint perfectly sums up why a foreign manager would be a high-risk solution.

While the former Torino manager’s record was far from satisfying, with four wins and five defeats from 12 games across all competitions, he had to work in an extremely hostile environment caused by the club’s controversial decision to sack Giallorossi legend Daniele De Rossi.

Follow live updates as Roma assess replacements for Juric

As a result, even starting his stint by picking up two consecutive Serie A wins, the first victories of Roma’s season, was not enough to stop the fans’ protests, making it complicated for Juric to bring serenity and confidence to his team.

More prestigious managers like Ten Hag, let alone Lampard, wouldn’t be spared the same treatment from an irritated fanbase, meaning they’d have no time to adapt to Italian football, as supporters would expect them to get results quickly.

History has already shown many times how foreign coaches need time to understand Serie A’s peculiarities, notably a desperate attention to tactical details, and hiring such profiles at a delicate moment would mean exposing them to a probable failure.

In this respect, opting for a manager who already knows how to handle difficulties posed by Italian football would be the most logical move as of now, which is probably why former Milan and Fiorentina coach Vincenzo Montella is reportedly considered the leading candidate for the Roma job, should he decide to terminate his contract with Turkey.

Intermediaries contacted Turkey coach Vincenzo Montella to know whether he’d be available to join Roma as their new coach, as he’s reportedly the leading candidate to succeed Ivan Juric at the Stadio Olimpico.

The 50-year-old took charge of the Turkey National Team in September 2023 and steered his side to a first-place finish in their EURO 2024 qualifying group before reaching the quarter-finals in the competition last summer.

Follow live updates on the future Roma manager

He has since remained unbeaten in the following four Nations League fixtures, and with his contract running until 2026, he would be required to pay a penalty to be free to join another team, something he’d be ready to do at one condition.

Montella has one condition to terminate Turkey contract and join Roma

La Gazzetta dello Sport reported that Roma contacted Montella through intermediaries as Ryan Friedkin would be particularly enthusiastic about hiring the former Giallorossi player as their new manager.

Montella’s contract with Turkey includes a clause that would force him to pay a penalty corresponding to six months of his €2.2m wage, about €1.1m, to terminate the deal at any moment.

According to the pink newspaper, the former Milan and Fiorentina coach would be willing to trigger such a clause provided that Roma offer him at least €2.5m per season and he’s not considered a caretaker.

The Giallorossi owners are expected to make a final decision about Montella before Turkey’s next fixture in the Nations League, scheduled for 16 November.

According to Spanish newspaper Marca, Real Madrid have set their sights on Roma defender Mario Hermoso for the January transfer window.

Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid have been plagued by injuries in defence, with David Alaba, Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao all out of action with cruciate ligament injuries.

Antonio Rudiger and Academy product Raúl Asencio are currently the only centre-backs available at the Bernabeu, so the La Liga giants will be looking for a new central defender in the winter transfer window.

Marca: Real Madrid set sights on Roma defender

According to Marca, one of the Merengues’ options is Roma defender Hermoso, a former Atletico Madrid star who thrived in the Real Madrid youth sector but failed to make his senior debut at the Bernabeu.

Hermoso joined Roma on a free transfer last summer, and his contract expires in June 2027.

His versatility and knowledge of La Liga make him a suitable candidate for a move to Real Madrid, and Roma’s troubled situation could also contribute to a January transfer.

The Giallorossi have already sacked two coaches this season, Daniele De Rossi and Ivan Juric, and are expected to hire a third one this week.

Reports in Italy claim Roma owners were in London on Monday when they sounded out Graham Potter and Erik ten Hag, but Ivan Juric’s successor may not be chosen before training sessions resume later this week.

Roma are still looking for a replacement for Juric, who was sacked on Sunday following a 3-2 home loss against Bologna.

Corriere dello Sport and Gazzetta report that Dan and Ryan Friedkin were in London on Monday to discuss the availability of some possible successors.

Among them are ex-Manchester United coach Ten Hag and former Chelsea and Brighton boss Potter. The latter emerged as a potential candidate for the Roma job last week.

Roma owners sound out Potter and Ten Hag in London, but chaos dominates

• Read more – De Rossi: I never said I wouldn’t return to Trigoria, sacking ‘part of the job’

Gazzetta claims that the avenue leading to Ten Hag is particularly tricky due to high costs, and while Roma owners seem unwilling to hire an Italian coach, sporting director Florent Ghisolfi would get an Italian tactician with Serie A experience.

According to Corriere Dello Sport, the French director’s primary option is recalling De Rossi, but the owners do not want the former midfielder back.

Massimiliano Allegri, Roberto Mancini, Claudio Ranieri, and even Vincenzo Montella, a former Roma striker and coach, are potential candidates from the Peninsula, but the club has not contacted them.

Gazzetta and Corriere claim that Ghisolfi won’t be involved in the decision-making process anyway, which contributes to increasing the club’s confusion.

Roma may be without a new coach when training sessions resume on Wednesday or Thursday, so Primavera team boss Gianluca Falsini could take charge of the first team while waiting for Roma’s third manager this season.