Ranieri: ‘I agree with Maldini, but haven’t read his plans, 8-10 years to fix Italy’

Claudio Ranieri has spoken in-depth about the projects he wants to implement in his role as technical director of the Italy national team, admits that he ‘hasn’t read’ Paolo Maldini’s plans from his brief stint in charge, but agrees with his predecessor that it will take ‘eight to 10 years’ to fix the current issues surrounding Italian football.

Ranieri was appointed technical director of the FIGC and President of Club Italia 100 days ago, alongside the appointment of Roberto Mancini as head coach of the Italy national team.

Ranieri was called in to replace Maldini as technical director after the latter’s resignation just 17 days after his appointment.

Maldini had stepped down from his position after it became clear that he would not be able to appoint any of his first-choice head coaches. It had been reported that Maldini attempted to convince Carlo Ancelotti and Pep Guardiola to take over, but it was the failed appointment of Andrea Pirlo that appeared to be the final straw.

Ranieri was appointed as the replacement for Pirlo on the same day that Mancini was appointed head coach, exactly 100 days ago on July 28.

He spoke to Sky Sport Italia on Thursday to discuss how his time in the Italy set-up has gone so far.

“It’s an engaging job that completely fills all of my days, but it’s a job that makes me happy. The work needs to be meticulous and there is a lot of it,” Ranieri told Sky.

Assessing the immediate areas of focus in his role as technical director, Ranieri said: “If you remember, I said that there were two areas we needed to improve. The first was the basic development sector for kids aged five to 13. The second is that funnel we want to create for 18 to 20-year-olds, who are struggling to break through in the professional sector.

“These are ideas we have to develop together. They’re playing players in the Primavera squads who have already matured physically. There is already a system in place that incentivises playing youngsters in Serie C and I would like to try and introduce something similar in Serie B as well.”

Ranieri believes that it will take government intervention to make the incentives that he wants to bring in possible.

“The lads who pass through the Primavera system then have to make the step. I don’t know how, but we have to help them. Until 2024, we had the growth decree: Let’s do that for young players so that they can play. Football alone can’t make that happen, we need the government and other institutions to do something.”

Ranieri wants the Italy set-up to start working on a more united front, from the bottom to the very top. He says that a new, unspecified, project will be trialled from January onwards.

“We’ve organised several meetings with all the various components: Club Italia, the technical sector, the amateur leagues and the youth and academy systems. We are carrying out a pilot project that will begin on January 11 and continue until June. At the end of that time, we will come together to evaluate what works and what can be improved in order to be ready for next season.

“The goal is for us to have a broader perspective and the hope is that through this work, we will all start speaking the same language.”

Ranieri was also asked for his thoughts on his predecessor Maldini and the ideas that he wanted to implement.

Ranieri admitted: “I have to be honest, I haven’t read Maldini and Leonardo’s plan.

“When you come into an environment like this, you want to build your own vision and your own way of working first of all. However, I’m not on this journey alone. I make use of some great people, without whom I wouldn’t be able to do anything. I’m thinking about Zola, Viscidi, Milani, who are all carrying out significant jobs for Club Italia.”

Ranieri does agree that solving all the issues that surround Italian football and the Italy national team will be a long-term project, though: “I believe that this is a valid project that can get off the ground. Maldini spoke of a journey that will take eight to 10 years: I agree, it takes time.”

Ranieri did not wish to involve himself in the chaos surrounding Giovanni Malagò’s potential re-election as FIGC President, though: “I like to stay within my field and I prefer not to deal with these other issues.”

One example that Ranieri and the Italy set-up have been urged to follow is the French Clairefontaine model. Ranieri’s former assistant manager Christian Damiano knows all about that project.

“I had Christian Damiano as an assistant and he worked with Gerard Houllier on the Clairefontaine project.

“They had a figure in charge of training the coaches and giving them the instructions to follow. Then that person would go directly to the specific centres to make sure that the work was being carried out in the way that was expected. It’s a model that we can definitely take things from.”

Still, Ranieri insists that this redevelopment of the Italy national team will not solely be down to him.

“I don’t want to hear about a ‘Ranieri method’. We are Italians and we must return to valuing the things we know how to do well.”