Football Italia
·15. November 2024
Football Italia
·15. November 2024
Claudio Ranieri oversaw his first training session back in charge of Roma on Thursday, shortly after the official announcement of his appointment as head coach. While he did not lead the session himself, there were still some important conversations to have with the players and staff.
Here is what the former Premier League winner got up to on his first day back with his hometown team.
The 73-year-old was spotted arriving at the gates of Trigoria at around midday local time. The agreement to take over as head coach until the end of the season had already been agreed upon, and the appointment was officially announced in the early afternoon.
The Giallorossi squad were out for training as usual on Thursday afternoon. Ranieri and his trusted coaching staff were all present, the coach wearing a long black coat while he observed the session, accompanied by sporting director Florent Ghisolfi.
Claudio Ranieri oversees his first training session back in charge of Roma alongside director Florent Ghisolfi. (picture via www.asroma.it)
Ranieri began by introducing the Roma players to his coaching staff, which, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport, includes his long-term assistant Paolo Benetti, plus Sergio Spalla, Carlo Spignoli and Massimo Catalano.
Ranieri has had a few conversations with some of the players who were also at Roma during his previous spell in charge in 2019, including Bryan Cristante and Stephan El Shaarawy.
And, for the players who have not been in the capital as long, the new coach reportedly gave a rousing speech on the importance and honour of representing Roma. Ranieri is now into his fourth spell with the Giallorossi, including his time as a player and his two previous managerial stints.
The Giallorossi face a tough series of fixtures after the international break, beginning with back-to-back away trips to Serie A leaders Napoli and Premier League outfit Tottenham in the league and Europa League respectively, before another tough test against the in-form Atalanta at the Olimpico the following weekend.