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What Will Claudio Ranieri’s Role Be in Italy’s New National Team Project?
The experienced figure will not be the Azzurri’s head coach, but he will play a key role in the team’s new direction. Here are all the details.
Claudio Ranieri has taken on a new challenge in Italian football after being appointed Director of National Teams for Italy, a position from which he will aim to transform the structure of the Azzurra and lay the foundations for a return to international prominence.
The experienced coach will not be on the touchline, but instead will oversee a project focused on developing the next generation of Italian talent.
With a long career managing top European clubs, Ranieri is pushing for a major change in youth development and believes Italy must return to prioritizing individual technique in order to compete with the world’s football powers.
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HIS VISION
One of Ranieri’s main objectives as the new director will be to change the development model in Italy’s youth categories.
For the veteran manager, Italian football has placed too much emphasis on tactics while neglecting fundamental skills such as dribbling and ball control.
"My goal is for fans to fall in love with the Azzurra again and for children, like my 12-year-old grandson, to be able to see Italy play in a World Cup," Ranieri said, highlighting his long-term vision.
The coach believes the transformation must begin at the youngest levels, especially with players between 10 and 12 years old.
"We are very good tactically, but others dribble. We win youth competitions because of tactical organization, but we need to return to individual technique; children need to learn how to control the ball," he explained.
Ranieri wants Italian academies to develop more creative players who can solve one-on-one situations on the pitch, a quality he believes has declined in recent years.
THE FOUNDATION OF HIS PROJECT
Beyond improving sporting development, Ranieri also highlighted the need to make football schools more accessible for young players.
The former Roma manager believes current costs have become a barrier for many families and could be keeping children away from the sport.
"We can’t afford it today. Children are turning to other activities, and we need to bring them back to football by trying to lower the prices of football academies," he said.
The new head of Italy’s national teams will be responsible for coordinating a project that covers everything from youth categories to the senior national team, with the goal of producing a new generation of players capable of returning Italy to the highest level.
After years of struggles and missed World Cups, the Italian Football Federation is trusting Ranieri’s experience to lead a deep renewal focused on young talent and restoring the country’s football identity.
