Claudio Ranieri on Thursday clarified
that the fact he is stepping down as Cagliari coach does not
mean he is retiring from football, saying he was open to the
prospect of taking over a national team.
"Tonight's match against Fiorentina will be my last game as
Cagliari coach and the last as the coach of a club," Ranieri
told Sky television.
"But, as I have said in the past, if a proposal should arrive
from a national team, I'd take it into consideration".
Ranieri announced that he will not stay on at Cagliari next
season after the Sardinian side ensured they will remain in
Serie A with a game to spare with Sunday's 2-0 win over
relegated Sassuolo.
The 72-year-old started his coaching career at Cagliari in 1988
and took them from the third tier to the top flight in his first
stint at the club.
He returned when they were 14th in Serie B halfway through last
season, and worked some of his old magic to lead them to
promotion via the playoffs.
"My journey began (here) in '88. Three wonderful years, then I
left," said Leicester City's 2016 fairy-tale Premier League
winning coach.
"After the promotion to Serie A (last season), which perhaps we
didn't expect so fast after I arrived in January, it seems right
to leave having secured safety.
"It's a painful, hard decision, made reluctantly, but it's right
to leave now".
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