Following the appointment of Claudio Ranieri as Watford’s new Head Coach, this article takes a look at five memorable matches that the Italian has been involved in from the dug-out.
Manchester City 1-3 Leicester City – February 2016
Although played in early February, this bout was billed as an early title decider with Leicester proving to be a formidable opponent. The top two faced off at the Etihad Stadium and with Manchester City still the favourites to win the league, the game was expected to be straightforward.
Ranieri’s Leicester stunned City three minutes into the game as defender Robert Huth met Riyad Mahrez’s free-kick with his head, powering the ball past Joe Hart in the net. After the break, Mahrez became the goalscorer wrapping his foot around the ball to beat Hart rooted to the spot.
Huth went on to score his second header to wrap up victory and help Leicester go five points clear at the top of the table. It was only the second time in Huth’s career that he had scored more than once in a game and Ranieri’s Foxes were flying. After this game, it seemed that pundits finally took Ranieri’s title charge seriously, with Leicester going on to secure top spot against the odds.
Atalanta 0-2 Fiorentina – May 1996
Having won promotion with Fiorentina two years prior, Ranieri produced the improbable and won the Coppa Italia with the side based in Florence.
Fiorentina won both games over Atalanta in the two-legged affair with iconic striker Gabriel Batistuta scoring in both ties, but it was his performance in the two-goal win in the second leg that stood out.
Ranieri’s side didn’t just feature Batistuta, but also Portuguese star Rui Costa, and the Italian coach moved on to Valencia a few weeks later to continue his managerial career.
Valencia 6-0 Real Madrid – June 1999
The semi-final first leg of the Copa Del Rey provided a tantalising encounter between Valencia and Real Madrid. Getting there hadn’t been easy, with Ranieri’s Valencia having beaten Barcelona in the quarter-finals, a team that contained the likes of Patrick Kluivert, Rivaldo, Luis Figo and Pep Guardiola.
Claudio López scored the first with Real Madrid getting a man sent off a few minutes later. Against a Madrid team that contained players like Clarence Seedorf and Guti, Valencia found goals surprisingly easy to come by with five more following soon after, completing the humiliation.
Valencia recorded their biggest ever win over their rivals Real Madrid, going on to win the semi-final on aggregate and beat Atletico Madrid in the final. This was Ranieri’s first trophy success outside of Italy and remains Real Madrid’s largest-ever cup defeat.
Arsenal 1-2 Chelsea – April 2004
The quarter-final stage of the Champions League has provided many memories over the years. Ranieri was coming up against an Arsenal side that had yet to lose all season, with the first leg having been drawn 1-1.
The late José Antonio Reyes put Arsenal in the lead on the night with Highbury celebrating to Ranieri’s disappointment. After a half-time team talk from Ranieri however, the Blues came out firing and scored an equaliser five minutes later through Frank Lampard.
The turnaround would eventually be completed with only minutes to spare as Wayne Bridge silenced Highbury and booked Ranieri’s Chelsea a place in the semi-finals of the Champions League. Unfortunately, Ranieri would get beaten by Monaco over two legs in the next round, however he would get his revenge in European competition only a few months later.
Porto 1-2 Valencia – August 2004
The annual meeting that sees the Europa League (UEFA Cup) title holders face the winners of the Champions League, the 2004 UEFA Super Cup saw Ranieri’s Valencia face continent kings Porto.
The Portuguese side had lost their former manager José Mourinho to Chelsea, with Ranieri joining Valencia for his second spell ahead of the showdown at Monaco’s Stade Louis-II, a stadium Ranieri would call home a few years later.
Rubén Baraja opened Valencia’s account with Marco Di Vaio scoring their second. Although Porto scored a late goal through Ricardo Quaresma, Ranieri’s men won the trophy in convincing style.
It was Ranieri’s seventh trophy before eventually leaving Valencia half a year later for a two-year break from football coaching before joining Parma.
