Reuters Soccer Blog
World Soccer views and news
Ranieri sacked by demanding Juve
Just three years ago Juve were facing up to the fact they’d be playing in Serie B after being found guilty of match-fixing.
Now, they sit third in Serie A with two games to go but that is not good enough for the Old Lady of Turin. The risk they might miss out on an automatic Champions League spot was too great.
Claudio Ranieri has been sacked despite doing wonders last term when they comfortably finished third.
His team beat Real Madrid home and away this season in the Champions League and they reached the Italian Cup semi-finals.
Champions League draw – your views
Jose Mourinho will clash with old foe Alex Ferguson in the Champions League last 16 with holders Manchester United playing Inter Milan.
It is England v Italy twice more with Juventus coach Claudio Ranieri facing former club Chelsea while Arsenal and Roma, two teams who love to play the beautiful game, also meet.
Mourinho v Ranieri is a veritable grudge match
It’s hard to think of two coaches in the world with such an apparent dislike of one another as Inter’s Jose Mourinho and Juve’s Claudio Ranieri.
Even Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger have got on better of late and the only coach to have real gripes with new Argentina boss Diego Maradona is Scotland no. 2 Terry Butcher.
Benitez to Juventus? Not likely
The press in both Italy and Britain are speculating that Juventus want Liverpool coach Rafael Benitez to replace Claudio Ranieri.
On face value the rumour looks plausible.
Juve have not won in four games and there is talk of dressing room unrest while Benitez has obviously had his run-ins with the bosses at Anfield, which is looking no nearer to demolition and a nearby stadium built.
