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Ranieri sidesteps Manchester City to tackle Juve challenge

Then Chelsea manager Claudio Ranieri waves as he makes a tour of honor with his team at Chelsea soccer ground in London on May 15. PHOTO: AFP

Claudio Ranieri became coach of Juventus on Monday, bypassing a reported offer to return to English soccer with Manchester City.

The former Chelsea manager signed a three-year contract and will replace Didier Deschamps, who left Juventus eight days ago.

"I like electrifying challenges," Ranieri said. "There's a lot of hard work to be done. We've got to get Juve back where it belongs."

Italian and British media reported last week that Ranieri had reached a three-year deal with Man City to replace Stuart Pearce, who was fired as manager of the Premier League club on May 14.

Juventus was relegated to Serie B at the end of 2005-2006 as punishment for its part in the Italian match-fixing scandal but has clinched promotion back to Serie A for next season.

"There's an ambitious plan. The fans should stay calm, we'll make them feel proud of what Juve accomplishes in Italy ... and then in Europe," Ranieri said.

Ranieri compared his decision to accept the job to "lightning in a clear sky," adding he had to accept it.

"I wasn't expecting it, but you can't say no to Juve," the Italian said. "Juventus is a huge opportunity for me."

Ranieri quit Parma on Thursday after helping the club avoid relegation from Serie A.

Deschamps' assistant Giancarlo Corradini will coach Juventus in the final round of the Serie B season on Sunday against Spezia, and Ranieri will take over on July 1.

A former defender for AS Roma, Catanzaro, Catania and Palermo, Ranieri began his professional coaching career with Cagliari, bringing the Sardinian club up from the third division to Serie A in 1990.

He coached Napoli from 1991 to 1993, guiding the club to a fourth-place finish in his first season.

After a year off, Ranieri returned with Fiorentina in the second division, brought the Tuscan club back up to Serie A and won an Italian Cup and an Italian Supercup in 1996.

Ranieri then went to Spain and won the Copa del Rey with Valencia in 1997. After a short spell with Atletico Madrid, he joined Chelsea and remained there from 2000 to 2004, leading the English club to the Champions League semifinals in his final season.
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