As the new president and technical director of Club Italia, Claudio Ranieri has embarked on a bold mission to rekindle Italy’s passion for football by overhauling the country’s youth development system. The experienced coach, famous for his performances at Roma, Chelsea and Leicester City, is determined to tackle a key issue: Italy’s lack of technical prowess at grassroots level.
Ranieri’s appointment follows the sudden departure of Paolo Maldini, whose tenure lasted just less than three weeks due to disagreements over the national team coaching staff. Roberto Mancini has since returned as Italy head coach, joining forces with Ranieri in a joint unveiling that signals a fresh start for the Azzurri’s future.
Describing the role as an “important moment” in his career, Ranieri acknowledged that the challenge ahead was difficult. “I have never backed down when facing difficulties in my career,” he said. He stressed the need to “make people love football again”. He also highlighted a personal motivation: ensuring that children, like his 12-year-old grandson, can have the experience of watching Italy at the World Cup, which the younger generation has yet to see.
Ranieri pointed to a serious flaw in Italy’s existing football infrastructure: the exorbitant cost of attending football academies, which many families cannot afford. “I’m told that kids spend a lot of money to go to football schools, so many families can’t afford it. This can’t be happening,” he said, underscoring the urgent need for accessible development programs.
While Italy excels tactically at youth levels – evidenced by trophy wins and finals appearances – the transition to senior success is where the system falters. Ranieri explained, “We win at the youth level because we are good at tactics, but teams abroad do not rely on tactics as much as we do here. They develop individual techniques.” He stressed that academies should focus more on teaching ball control, dribbling, crossing and shooting, lamenting that coaches focus on immediate results rather than skill development. He commented, “You don’t start kids playing tennis and throw them straight into a match.”
Ranieri also criticized the current coaching approach that limits touches and discourages dribbling, comparing it to Italy’s past where children played freely in public spaces, honing their creativity. “Now they are told to only take two touches, pass it quickly, they are not taught to dribble,” he said bluntly.
When questioned about Maldini’s proposed 10-year plan for improvement, Ranieri stressed the urgency of working with today’s 10–14-year-olds to develop technical excellence. “The difference between us and other countries is that we are tactically good as teams, but as players they are technically good,” he said.
Reflecting on his career, Ranieri revealed that due to his commitment to Roma, he once turned down the job as Italy head coach before Gennaro Gattuso’s appointment. Acknowledging the emotional difficulty of the decision, he said, “Whatever I chose with my heart, I have never regretted it.”
Despite repeatedly announcing his retirement, Ranieri’s passion for football continued to pull him back. Asked how his wife felt about his latest role, he joked, “I won’t be taking her home for the first time, so at least she’ll be happy!”
Ranieri’s latest venture marks an important step in Italy’s football revival, combining his decades of tactical expertise with a renewed focus on technical skill development that could reshape the Azzurri’s future.
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