Claudio Ranieri has agreed terms with Sampdoria, according to a report from Fabrizio Romano. The former Roma and Leicester City manager will take over as Sampdoria manager immediately. He is set to debut against the side he last coached, Roma, when Sampdoria host I Giallorossi next weekend.
Claudio Ranieri and Sampdoria Agree Terms
Claudio Ranieri has the total agreement with Sampdoria. He’ll be the new manager. Here we go! 🔵 #Sampdoria
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) October 11, 2019
After Sampdoria finished ninth in Serie A last season, few would have expected them to struggle as much as they have in the current campaign. They have won just one of their seven games in Italy’s top flight this season and sit comfortably at the bottom of the table.
A large part of Sampdoria’s struggles is owed to their failure to replace central defender Joachim Andersen and midfielder Dennis Praet, both of whom were sold over the summer. The club has much work left to do to get their season back on track, but they have taken a big step in appointing Claudio Ranieri as their next manager.
Ranieri is no stranger to the Italian top flight. He has experience coaching such sides as Juventus, Roma, Inter, Napoli, and Fiorentina. The Italian has even found success abroad. The most well-known of Ranieri’s exploits is his sensational Premier League win with massive underdogs Leicester City in the 2015-16 season.
Ranieri most recently ended a brief spell with Roma after spending a dreadful few months in charge of Fulham. Getting Samp back on track may prove his move difficult test yet, though.
“The Tinkerman”
Ranieri’s highly-disciplined style could work wonders for this struggling Sampdoria side. Despite losing some key players over the summer, Samp still have enough talent to push for the top half of the Serie A table.
Though he is well on the wrong side of 30, captain Fabio Quaglierella is still one of the best strikers in Italy. Between Karol Linetty, Jakub Jankto, and Ronaldo Vieira, Ranieri has plenty of talent to form a solid midfield. But his first task will be shoring up a defensive line that has already allowed 16 goals this season.
Although he has not had much success in recent seasons, Ranieri has both the experience and tactical ability to get this Sampdoria side back on track. Don’t expect Samp to push for a European spot this season. Do keep an eye on them, however, to push for a spot in Serie A’s top ten.
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