Claudio Ranieri and Juventus never really seemed like the perfect fit. On the one hand there’s Ranieri, amiable and laid back, and on the other there’s Juventus, Italian football’s most successful team, a hard nosed, efficient unit with winning in their blood.
No disrespect to Ranieri, who had just reasserted his credentials by salvaging Parma from the drop, but it seemed a little like hiring a sitcom star to play a dramatic lead. The Tinkerman had already wilted under the pressure at Chelsea.
Nonetheless, as the Old Lady’s title dreams fade into a tussle for second place with the resurgent Milan, their last shot at silverware disappears with defeat home and away to Lazio in the Coppa Italia semi final, and the murmurs that have dogged Ranieri throughout his tenure build to a crescendo, I feel it is time to mount a defence of the man.
This is because I genuinely believe few could have done any better with the current Juve squad. Many are deceived by the smattering of stars in the Bianconeri squad, players like Alessandro Del Piero, Gigi Buffon, Pavel Nedved and David Trezeguet.
The reality is that this is a club, for all its pride and desire, that is still reeling from its spell in Serie B, with a squad full of players who belong there. The blame for this surely lies with the much maligned sporting director Alessio Secco.
To suggest that Ranieri didn’t have some input into transfers would be misguided and naïve, but ultimately the buck stops with Secco. His dealings have left Juventus with a squad no better than Roma’s or Fiorentina’s, and yet they are weighed down with a much greater expectation.
All things considered, not forgetting the mammoth injury crisis the side endured early on, what Ranieri has coaxed out of his players this season is respectable. For a squad so carelessly assembled and unbalanced to sustain a title challenge this long is impressive.
In addition Juve were easily the most impressive of Italy’s Champions League participants, topping a tough section, beating Real Madrid home and away and pushing Chelsea to the limit. If Phil Scolari had still been in charge it most probably would have ended differently.
The truth may be that Ranieri, as he did at Stamford Bridge, will eventually have to step aside for the club to reach a position worthy of its status. Hopefully he is remembered fondly, for injecting a bit of pride into a limited squad with the weight of the world on their shoulders.
