Ranieri open to coaching return with a national team

ROME : Claudio Ranieri's retirement from football might be short-lived after the Italian said on Thursday he would consider a return to coaching if offered a national team job.

Ranieri, who retired in May, famously led Leicester City to a shock Premier League title in 2016 and has coached a host of teams from Europe's top leagues including Chelsea, Juventus, Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan and Monaco.

"I confess that I want to put myself back on the line even though I have already said 'no' to more than one offer," the 73-year-old told Italy's Corriere della Sera daily in comments published on Thursday.

"Let's see if a call comes from a national team."

He ruled out the Italy job, however, saying he had the utmost confidence in current Azzurri manager Luciano Spalletti.