Ranieri reveals he rejected Chelsea before joining Roma as head coach

The 73-year-old was appointed as head coach of Roma in November shortly after Ivan Juric was sacked as he came out of retirement for another spell of management which he surely would have missed.

Before he joined the Italian side, Ranieri turned down an offer from Chelsea when the club decided to part ways with Mauricio Pochettino at the end of last season but he has now revealed that he outright rejected the proposition.

“Nobody has a magic wand. I was asked to put things back in their place, also while acting as an advisor.

“They had already asked after me at Chelsea, but I said no. In England, I don’t have the connections that I have here, which I need to do things properly.

“Roma is my life, and now I have more experience, I’m vaccinated against every situation. It’s also the realization of a childhood dream, from somebody who stood in the Curva Sud.

“I also like this dual role, between coaching and managing.”

Ranieri spent four years in charge of Chelsea at the turn of the century and after he miraculously lifted the Premier League trophy with Leicester City in 2016 it would have been interesting to see how he would have adapted to life at the club again compared to new manager Enzo Maresca.