Italy technical director Claudio Ranieri says it is fortunate that many talented Italian youngsters are earning playing time at foreign clubs, while also calling for better pay for youth coaches and voicing support for Roberto Mancini ahead of the Nations League clash with Belgium.
Claudio Ranieri, appointed Italy’s technical director in July after Paolo Maldini’s brief two-week stint in the role, addressed reporters in Rome just hours before the Azzurri’s Nations League fixture against Belgium.
The former Roma manager praised head coach Roberto Mancini’s mindset going into the match, saying Mancini is eager to start the campaign well because he understands its importance for everyone involved.
Asked about his own role since taking over from Maldini, Ranieri explained that his job involves a wide range of responsibilities beyond scouting, relying on a staff that keeps him updated on players and developments across Italian football.
Ranieri also revealed he had personally spoken with dual-nationality players who were undecided about their international future, including Alessandro Romano, who subsequently committed to representing Italy at senior level. He credited Mancini for facilitating those conversations, noting that several players have since opted to join the national set-up.
Returning to a theme he raised at his unveiling press conference less than two months ago, Ranieri repeated his concern that the high cost of football academies is putting the sport out of reach for many families, while modern distractions such as video games mean fewer children play football in the streets. He confirmed he has been invited to speak to the Italian Senate on the issue and stressed the need to better support and pay youth coaches working with children aged five to 13.
“Another difficulty is that when they turn 18 or 19, have a chance to fulfil their potential. Luckily, many young players are signed by foreign clubs, so they get playing time.”
Ranieri referenced a remark attributed to Vujadin Boskov, who once said that in his native Yugoslavia, coaches working with young players were the best paid, arguing that Italian football must find similar resources to support those shaping children between the ages of five and 13.
On the wider institutional uncertainty surrounding Italian football, with reports suggesting FIGC president Giovanni Malagò could soon be replaced by a special commissioner appointed by CONI and the Italian Government, Ranieri insisted the situation would not disrupt his and Mancini’s work with the national team, saying: “No. We go ahead. I’m a man of the field, and we have to do well on the field. The others must do what they feel is right.”
