Football
ESPN staff 6y

Claudio Ranieri says he will be staying at Nantes despite Italy links

Claudio Ranieri has said he will stay at Ligue 1 club Nantes despite speculation linking him with the Italy job.

Ranieri, who guided Leicester City to the Premier League title and took over at Nantes last summer, is reported to be a strong contender to take over after the departure of Gian Piero Ventura.

But he has said he will be staying at Nantes next season, having previously indicated that he could move on if offered the chance to coach his home country.

"I'm under contract with Nantes," Ranieri told Canal+ after his side had been beaten by Monaco at the weekend.

"The media say one day I'm going to Italy, another to Nice. I'll be at Nantes next year because I have a two-year contract with them."

Luigi Di Biagio has been in temporary charge of Italy after Ventura stepped down in the aftermath of failure to qualify for the World Cup.

Ranieri has been consistently linked with the position, which the Italian FA intends to fill on a permanent basis in the summer.

Former Chelsea and Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain coach Carlo Ancelotti, ex-Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini and Chelsea's Antonio Conte are also reportedly in the running.

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