Ranieri accepts end is nigh
Claudio Ranieri revealed he already knows the name of his probable successor as Chelsea coach as he admitted that not even winning the Champions League would now be likely to save his job.
While Ranieri was not about to publicly confirm the identity of his successor, Porto boss Jose Mourinho is widely tipped to be installed as Chelsea’s new boss this summer.
Not that his appointment is as yet agreed or, indeed, confirmed. After all, Porto were tonight attempting to clinch a place in the Champions League final, where they could still meet Chelsea.
However, Ranieri has already seen the writing is clearly on the wall for him, even – or perhaps especially – after Chelsea’s recent move to entice Sven-Goran Eriksson from the England job failed.
Asked if winning the Champions League could now save his job, the Italian admitted: “No, I think not because my destiny is already decided. It doesn’t depend on me. I don’t think it changes anything if I win.”
In truth, Ranieri has known since last summer, when Roman Abramovich took over and immediately started to court Eriksson, that he was unlikely to remain at Stamford Bridge for too long.
He may have since gained the wholehearted support of the Chelsea fans, as well as respect around the country for his stoical response to being undermined by his own board.
But ahead of tomorrow’s Champions League semi-final second leg against Monaco, he admitted: “For me, it’s important to build the strong foundations.
“I knew this from the start. Then, I didn’t know the name of the next coach. Now I know also the name, but then everyone knows. And the winner is….!”
The name of Mourinho did not pass Ranieri’s lips, although Abramovich and chief executive Peter Kenyon are already said to have started talks with the Porto coach’s agent.
If and when he departs, Ranieri would be likely to remain in the Premiership, revealing that it “would be a very good thing to stay in England”.
However, he still has the chance to take Chelsea into the Champions League final, albeit having dented his reputation with his unwise tactical bravado in losing 3-1 in Monaco in the semi-final first leg against 10 men.
“I don’t think there is a bad reputation about myself. I believe that everyone can make mistakes but very few men can say that they did make a mistake,” he said.
“I am one of them though. The best managers are the ones who make fewer mistakes than others as everybody makes mistakes.”
Turning around that first-leg deficit would be a considerable achievement and one that could prompt others to feel vindicated. Not so Ranieri.
“I am only focused on trying to do the best for Chelsea. I don’t want to separate myself from Chelsea. I am involved in Chelsea,” he stressed.
“Yes, it is emotional for me. But I want to win as I’m an ambitious man. I want to win always. Not because of what has happened and what everyone knows.”
What everyone knows, however, is that Ranieri is almost certainly on the way out. No wonder, therefore, that his defiant mood was straight out of the gallows humour manual.
“Welcome, the sharks to the funeral,” he remarked with a beaming smile.
“Before you kill me, you call me the ‘dead man walking’. I must buy you an espresso. But only a little one – I am Scottish!”
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