Ranieri rules Gasperini out of Roma contention
Claudio Ranieri has ruled out the prospect of Atalanta's Gian Piero Gasperini replacing him as Roma manager, with the current Giallorossi boss playing a role in the club's ongoing recruitment process.
Ranieri came out of retirement in November to lead Roma on a temporary basis until the end of the season, marking his third stint at the club.
When the 73 year-old returned to the dugout, Roma said he would transition into "a senior executive position", and he is playing a key role in choosing its next permanent boss.
Gasperini has been one of several big names linked with the job, having enjoyed sustained success with Atalanta since arriving in Bergamo in 2016.
La Dea have qualified for the Champions League in six of his eight campaigns at the helm, with the high point of his reign coming when they beat Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League final last year.
Gasperini – who has Atalanta third in the table this term – has overseen 590 games in Serie A overall, with four different clubs.
He has a win ratio of 45.25 pe cent (267 victories), with his teams scoring 982 goals – 650 of those coming in Atalanta's 333 games under him.
But he will not replace Ranieri in the Roma dugout, with the former Leicester City boss telling reporters: "I expected this... this week we talk about Gasperini and next week about another coach.
"The thing that makes me happy is that you have brought up so many names and of those I have spoken to, you have not given any news."
Sporting director Florent Ghisolfi is working alongside Ranieri as Roma seek a long-term appointment.
"We will give a list of candidates to the president and he will choose," Ranieri explained.
"Roma wants to get to the top and we know that for the next two markets we cannot spend crazily. Whoever comes must know these things.
"If I stayed as coach, we would lose a year. I am not the future of Roma. Whoever comes must be the future of Roma."
Roma, seventh in Serie A, visits Lecce on Sunday, while Atalanta could move within three points of leader Inter when it goes to Fiorentina on the next day.
