Saturday, September 24, 2011

Ranieri: Inter must believe

New Inter Milan coach Claudio Ranieri is looking forward to the challenge of turning around the fortunes of the Serie A giants.

Claudio Ranieri
GettyImages
Claudio Ranieri replaced the sacked Gian Piero Gasperini as Inter manager


Ranieri was unveiled by the Nerazzurri on Friday after being confirmed as successor to the sacked Gian Piero Gasperini on Thursday.

"I feel so many emotions,'' Ranieri said. "I've done this job simply for the emotions it gives you. I am very proud to be part of the Nerazzurri family.''

The veteran coach signed a two-year contract with Inter and inherits a team that is in the relegation zone, with just one point from their opening three games. The club decided to dismiss Gasperini after Tuesday's 3-1 defeat at promoted Novara - Inter's fourth loss in five games this season.

"We must recover confidence and self-belief,'' Ranieri said. "We have to get results as soon as possible.''

The 59-year-old had been out of a job since leaving Roma earlier this year and admitted he was surprised to be chosen by Inter.

"I have to admit that I didn't expect this,'' he said. "My mind was set on going abroad but when Inter call you, you can only be happy and proud. I can only say that I love to work, then it's destiny that puts you in one place or another. And I am happy to be here now.''

The former Chelsea boss has struggled in the past to win silverware, with his only trophies a Coppa Italia in 1996 with Fiorentina and a Copa del Rey with Valencia three years later. However, he has plenty of experience in Serie A.

Ranieri took over Parma midway through the 2006-07 campaign and managed to steer the relegation-threatened club to safety. The following year he led Juventus to a third-place finish just one season after the Turin giants had been competing in Serie B.

After being sacked by Juve the following May, Ranieri was put in charge of a struggling Roma six months later and guided his hometown club to a runners-up finish in Serie A behind Inter.

"This is the beginning of a new journey and to win at Inter would be a splendid thing for me,'' Ranieri said.

Inter, who finished runners-up in the league last season to AC Milan, had established themselves as the leading side in Italy with a run of five league titles under Roberto Mancini and then Jose Mourinho.

"A year and a half ago, these players were champions and I believe in their will to react,'' Ranieri said. "They have fallen but the important thing is for them to get up again and fight.

"I want to see that united team that never gave up whenever my teams played against them. The important thing is to get results now. These players are used to winning and have to get back to winning.''

Ranieri's first game in charge will be at Bologna tomorrow before Inter travel to Russia to face CSKA Moscow next week. When asked about his preferred tactics, Ranieri said: "I am not a slave of a system of play. I always put a team on the pitch with the thought of winning a game and that's it.''


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Aldershot to face Manchester United

League Two minnows Aldershot Town have been handed a dream draw in the last 16 of the Carling Cup and will face Manchester United at the Recreation Ground.

The Recreation Ground will host Manchester United in the Carling Cup fourth round
GettyImagesThe Recreation Ground will host Manchester United in the Carling Cup fourth round

Dean Holdsworth's side dispatched Rochdale on Wednesday night to book their place in the fourth round and will now square up against the reigning Premier League champions.

Elsewhere, Chelsea will travel to Goodison Park to face Everton while Liverpool must go to The Britannia to play Stoke - the ground on which the Reds lost their first Premier League game this season.

Wolves will host Manchester City at Molineux while Arsenal have a home tie against Bolton. Blackburn entertain Newcastle at Ewood Park.

There are two all-Championship ties as Crystal Palace were handed a home clash with Southampton and Burnley travel to Cardiff.

The games will be played on Tuesday 25 and Wednesday 26 October.

The draw in full:

Aldershot v Manchester United

Arsenal v Bolton

Blackburn v Newcastle

Cardiff v Burnley

Crystal Place v Southampton

Everton v Chelsea

Stoke v Liverpool

Wolves v Manchester City


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Ancelotti: England is the place to be

Carlo Ancelotti

Carlo Ancelotti: Sacked after two years in charge

Carlo Ancelotti has signalled his intention to return to football and his admiration for the English Premier League.

The Italian, sacked by Chelsea in May, just a year after winning a Double, still lives near the Blues' Cobham training ground complex and continues to keenly follow English football.

"I love London. I love England. I love the football in England. The culture of the football. The atmosphere at the grounds. The competitive nature of the Premier League," he told the Daily Mail.

"Right now England is the best country in the world for football. In Spain you have just two teams. There is not the same competition in their championship. Here it is different. There are lots of good teams and I have to thank Chelsea for giving me the opportunity to be here."

Ancelotti retains no bitterness towards his former club: "If I hadn't come to Chelsea, if Chelsea hadn't come for me, I would not have had that experience. I would not know what I know now."

The former AC Milan boss was linked with a return to Serie A to replace Gianpiero Gasperini at Inter Milan, but Claudio Ranieri is now in the role. Ancelotti denied he has pledged to take a year out from football.

'I haven't said I want to take a year out,' he said. 'I've said I'm not afraid to spend one year out, trying to find a solution that enables me to stay in English football. If I can find the right solution, the right team, I will be very happy.

'I have been keeping myself busy, working for Italian TV when the Champions League has been on. And I will go to Manchester United and Real Madrid to watch training. I have been a manager for 15 years and this is a chance to go and learn something new.

On his departure from Stamford Bridge, which came immediately after a final-day defeat at Everton, Ancelotti says he understood while he was relieved of his duties while still at Goodison Park rather than chief executive Ron Gourlay waiting until the following day.

"What would have been the point in waiting?" he said. "If they have something to tell me I prefer to know immediately. Until the end, I felt my future depended on the results. I hoped I would stay. But when Ron came to me after the press conference at Everton and said he needed to speak to me, I knew what was coming.

However, he admitted his regrets that it is Andre Villas-Boas and not him who is at the Chelsea helm. "I thought I could stay longer at Chelsea. I hoped to, because I felt really good there," he said.

"I was not happy to leave this club and to leave these people. I had a good relationship with the players. I felt we could go on to enjoy more success. But this is football and I knew this before I went there."


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Manchester City 2-0 Everton

Manchester City edged to victory over Everton to go back to the top of the Barclays Premier League.

Substitute Mario Balotelli put City in front after 68 minutes firing a low 20-yard shot which deflected off Phil Jagielka into the bottom right corner from a backheel by Sergio Aguero.

The Merseysiders, who had won seven of the last eight meetings between the sides, had previously dug in strongly to keep the home side at bay.

City made it safe two minutes from time when David Silva split the defence with a superb through-ball for substitute James Milner to prod home his first Premier League goal for the club.

Everton's Tim Cahill challenges Gareth Barry of Manchester City
Everton's Tim Cahill challenges Gareth Barry of Manchester City

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