Ranieri refused to coach the Italian national team.

The 73-year-old strategist rejected the opportunity to lead the Azzurri, leaving the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) in a deadlock in its search for a head coach.

Coach Claudio Ranieri has no interest in the Italian national team.

La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that coach Claudio Ranieri has officially rejected an offer to lead the Italian national team. Ranieri's decision comes amidst a difficult period for Italian football.

The 0-3 defeat to Norway on June 6th led to the sacking of coach Luciano Spalletti for Italy, marking a significant step backward since their Euro 2020 victory. Italy's absence from the last two World Cups has been extremely disappointing for fans.

Meanwhile, Ranieri just completed his short tenure as Roma manager last November. According to several sources, the "Tinkerman" still plans to retire despite having just received an offer to play for the national team.

With Ranieri refusing to coach the Italian national team, the FIGC had to look for other candidates. Former AC Milan coach Stefano Pioli emerged as a potential contender. Additionally, Daniele De Rossi, a Roma icon, also appeared as another option for the FIGC.

In the fourth match of Group I, Italy secured a 2-0 victory against Moldova in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers for the European region, which took place in the early hours of June 10th. Their goals were scored by Napoli striker Giacomo Raspadori and Andrea Cambiaso, a defender currently playing for Juventus.

Before the match, Spalletti announced at a press conference on June 9th that the clash with Moldova would be his last game as Italy's coach. Under Spalletti, Italy were eliminated by Switzerland in the round of 16 of Euro 2024. He was appointed in August 2023 after an impressive stint managing top Serie A clubs such as Napoli, Inter Milan, and Roma.

This victory keeps Italy's hopes of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup alive. They currently have 3 points after 2 matches, trailing leaders Norway (12 points after 4 matches) and Israel (6 points after 3 matches). Italy will continue their World Cup qualifying campaign with matches against Estonia and Israel on September 5th and 8th, respectively.

Lamine Yamal was devastated after the final whistle. Lamine Yamal watched Portugal celebrate, but sadness overwhelmed him as Spain lost in the 2025 Nations League final on the morning of June 9th.

Source: https://znews.vn/ranieri-tu-choi-dan-tuyen-italy-post1559748.html