5 replacements for Gian Piero Ventura as Italy manager

#2 Claudio Ranieri

Before the 2015/16 season, Claudio Ranieri was rarely taken seriously anywhere, which always felt rather harsh. He had brought cup success to clubs in Spain and Italy, as well as working in France and England, but he never earned much respect. When he was appointed Leicester City boss two and a half years ago, it was seen as confirmation of the Foxes' impending relegation.

Ranieri, though, proved doubters wrong in the biggest way possible, achieving perhaps the greatest upset in sporting history by leading Leicester to the Premier League title; comfortably, too. The success was built on a bit of a siege mentality.

While Ranieri is a very nice man on appearance, something that unfortunately increased the mockery of him, he was able to get a squad full of players also doubted throughout their careers to work hard and show what they could do.

The key was Ranieri’s personal growth; known as the Tinkerman for his rotation policies at previous clubs; he inherited a side that had survived in dramatic circumstances the previous season playing a certain way. Evolution, rather than revolution, stunned the world.

Of course, it didn’t end well. Nine months later, he was sacked with the club struggling again. The atmosphere was toxic, but it appeared nothing is enough to save a manager from the sack during a poor run.

He is now at Nantes, but surely he’d find it tough to turn down a call from his country. If anyone can galvanise a nation straight away, on recent evidence, it is Ranieri.