In Focus: Tinkerman Ranieri has found winning formula at Cagliari

Claudio Ranieri is back in Serie A after steering Cagliari to promotion. 

The 71-year-old will be the oldest manager in the Italian top flight after a long, rollercoaster career, regularly punctuated with unexpected comebacks. 

Appointed in December, the veteran coach guided the club to a fifth-placed finish, before reaching the play-off final, where they beat Bari over two legs. 

Ahead of Ranieri's return to the big time, we take a look at his past triumphs and what is to come.

Ranieri returns

Ranieri made an instant impact when he was brought in to rescue Cagliari's promotion hopes. 

The former Leicester manager took charge with the side languishing in mid-table but they lost only two of their next 25 matches. 

Cagliari achieved promotion in dramatic fashion, as Leonardo Pavoletti scored in the 94th minute to secure a 2-1 aggregate win over their Apulian opponents. 

After the game, an emotional Ranieri spoke about his feelings for a club that he has now enjoyed two successful spells with. 

He said: "Cagliari means everything to me. My feeling for this shirt is authentic. 

"I remember when I won the Premier League, I immediately thought about the Rossoblu colours. I will always be grateful to those who brought me back to Sardinia. 

"And I want to think about our fans, our people, not only those who come to the stadium — and we have a small stadium — but to all those who have supported us until the end in recent weeks. 

"Having given joy to such a passionate group of supporters makes me so proud." 

Sardinian hero

Ranieri is once again a hero in Sardinia, having made his reputation during his first spell at the club, over 30 years ago. 

After early jobs with Vigor Lamezia and Puteolana, he arrived at Cagliari in 1988. He took the club from Serie C1 to Serie A in successive seasons. 

His success saw him move to Napoli and then Fiorentina, who he led to promotion to Serie A and a Coppa Italia win in 1996. 

Then came more silverware at Valencia, leading to high-profile jobs with the likes of Atletico Madrid, Chelsea, Juventus and Inter Milan. 

When his first international job with Greece ended with his sacking after just four games, it seemed that Ranieri's glory days were over. 

That was until he became manager of Leicester, where he shocked the world when he guided the 5000/1 underdogs to the Premier League title. 

Tinkerman settles

Since that unlikely title triumph, Ranieri has been sacked by Leicester and managed Nantes, Fulham, Roma, Sampdoria and Watford. 

The manager known as the Tinkerman for his tendency to constantly tweak his tactics and rotate his side has been equally restless when it comes to his employers. 

Now Ranieri is back home at the club where he first tasted success and started a journey that has sent him across Europe. 

At 71, perhaps it is time for the Tinkerman to remain where he is loved, though if his career tells us anything, we should not rule out another unlikely adventure.