Ranieri named coach of Nantes

Italian football tactician Claudio Ranieri has become the head coach of Ligue 1 side Nantes after signing a two-year deal.

"Nantes are delighted to announce the arrival of Claudio Ranieri," the club said in a statement on Thursday.

Ranieri guided unfancied Leicester City to the English Premier League (EPL) title in 2016, but in the following season, he was sacked in February when the team faced an uphill challenge to avoid the relegation, just nine months after that magical title, reports Xinhua news agency.

Age limit was initially the main obstacle for Ranieri, as he has exceeded the limit of 65 years for a coach in the French football league, but the club finally got the green light from the French professional football league (LFP).

Ranieri was no newcomer to the French football league. He led Monaco back to Ligue 1 in the 2012-2013 season, and the team finished second behind Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the season to follow.

Nantes won their last of eight league titles in 2001. They finished seventh last season under Sergio Conceicao, but the Portuguese became the head coach of Porto a week ago.

--IANS

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