Story highlights
Inter Milan have appointed Claudio Ranieri as their new coach
Ranieri arrives just 24 hours after Gian Piero Gasperini exited the club
Inter have made a winless start to the Italian Serie A season
Roma and Siena are still without a win after drawing 1-1 on Thursday
Veteran coach Claudio Ranieri has been given the chance to restore Inter Milan’s fortunes following the short, unsuccessful tenure of Gian Piero Gasperini at the Italian club.
Ranieri has previously been in charge of big European teams such as Juventus, Chelsea, Valencia, Atletico Madrid and Napoli, but has been out of work since leaving Inter’s Serie A rivals Roma in February after a run of poor results.
He takes over a team in turmoil, with Gasperini sacked on Wednesday following a 3-1 defeat by newly-promoted Novara – Inter’s second in three league matches. Gasperini, 53, is the only coach in Inter’s history to leave without winning a game.
The three-time European champions also lost to archrivals AC Milan in the Italian Super Cup and to Turkish outfit Trabzonspor in the Champions League group stage opener.
“Claudio Ranieri has officially become the new coach of Inter. He has signed a contract binding him to the club June 30, 2013,” Inter’s official website reported on Thursday.
“Everyone at F.C. Internazionale has the pleasure of welcoming Claudio Ranieri and his staff and wishing them well.”
Ranieri, whose only major managerial honors are the 1996 Italian Cup with Fiorentina and 1999 Spanish Cup at Valencia, said he wants to improve the current squad’s mentality.
“I think I will need to talk a lot with the squad, the mental aspect is very important,” the 59-year-old told Italian television channel RAI Sport.
“Inter are a great team. We have to pick up the pace after this false start. The players are there and we have everything to lift the team. Gasperini had every right to try to execute his ideas; he tried to make his system work with all his strength, but without success.
“I do not think he can be criticized, he tried to implement his ideas until the end. For me, every system can bring victories – if Inter have always played in a specific way, there must be a reason.”
Known as the “The Tinkerman” from his time at Chelsea when he constantly rotated his team, Ranieri refused to make any promises of success this season as Inter seek a 19th Serie A crown.
“I do not like to promise things. I want the best from these players, who have so much to give.”
His appointment means that Inter have now had four different coaches since current Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho left the San Siro in May 2010.
Mourinho guided Inter to a historic treble, which included a first European Cup in 35 years, before being replaced by the Spaniard Rafael Benitez after leaving for the Bernabeu stadium.
Benitez, who led Liverpool to Champions League success in 2005, was sacked in December 2010 despite taking Inter to victory at the FIFA Club World Cup.
Former AC Milan coach Leonardo took over from Benitez and guided Inter to a second-place finish in Serie A last season, before his move to France’s Paris St. Germain as director of football led to ex-Genoa boss Gasperini being appointed in June.
Ranieri’s first match in charge of his new team will be Saturday’s league trip to Bologna.
Meanwhile, the one Serie A match played on Thursday saw Roma and Siena draw 1-1 at the Olympic Stadium.
Daniel Osvaldo put Roma ahead in the 25th minute when he tapped home Marco Borriello’s pull back .
But the visitors levelled with just two minutes remaining when Roberto Vitiello netted from a rebound after Franco Brienza’s effort crashed against the post.
The result means both sides are still waiting for their first victory of the season, having drawn two of their opening three games.
In Spain, an injury time goal from Walter Pandiani gave Espanyol a 1-0 success over Getafe, who have now lost threee successive Primera Liga matches.