Ranieri hints at 'incredible' new Roma boss
Claudio Ranieri hinted that Roma have already chosen his replacement, but said it was "incredible" the news had not been leaked.
Ranieri oversaw a 2-0 victory over Torino in his final game in charge of Roma before pulling the curtain down on his management career for a second time.
The 73 year-old came out of retirement to take over the Giallorossi in November last year and oversaw a remarkable turnaround that saw them seal a Europa League spot.
Roma were 12th in Serie A with just 13 points after 12 games under Ivan Juric, with Ranieri overseeing an incredible 19-game unbeaten run at the start of his tenure.
Indeed, since early 2025, only Barcelona (50) has collected more points than Roma (49) in the top five major European leagues.
Roma knew its only chance of snatching a Champions League spot on the final day was if Juventus dropped points in its fixture a day earlier.
Juventus, however, earned a 3-2 victory over Venezia, with Roma having to settle for fifth place in the division.
Jurgen Klopp distanced himself from taking the Roma job last week, while Erik ten Hag, who was also linked, was announced as Bayer Leverkusen's new boss.
"It is incredible that the club has been able to keep this quiet. Everyone is going crazy in Rome," Ranieri said.
"If the owner wants to say it, he will say it, and then you will know who is the Roma coach for next season."
Given Roma's turnaround in results, Ranieri was asked if he had been appointed sooner, that Champions League football could have been possible.
"I don't think we could've aimed higher," he said. "There was a shake-up, but it's not a fair evaluation. I took on the team in the worst moment, when their morale was rock bottom.
"They had lost all their self-esteem, so I tried to keep things simple and give them back the belief in themselves.
"The fans were on my side, because they know I rarely tell lies or sell dreams, at least 90 per cent of the time. They can trust me.
"We had two early defeats to Como and Atalanta, but then only lost two more all season in Serie A. The lads gave everything and that is what is important for me."
