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STRAMACCIONI, INTER ARE YOURS!

Ranieri is now gone after the K.O. against Juventus.

The Inter Primavera coach is fresh from the triumph in London in the U-19 Champions League.

FROM RANIERI TO STRAMACCIONI: INTER TURN THE PAGE

Fatal defeat against Juve.  Moratti decided to say enough.

Long day of meetings, termination came in the evening. 

Against the Roman coach were the results and the inability to find solutions.

And then those substitutions of Obi and Poli.

Milan - Bigger than just a spark, it was more like a big bang which has burned Ranieri and given the flare to Stramaccioni.  The Inter bench now belongs to the former Primavera - which will be the responsibility of Claudio Bernazzani - coach for the last nine league games.  The official announcement came at 10:04 pm at night on the Inter website: "President Massimo Moratti and F.C. Internazionale would like to thank Claudio Ranieri and his staff for their professionalism and dedication with sincerity in these recent months...  The team is now entrusted to Andrea Stramaccioni, Primavera coach who won the first edition of NextGen Series."  Following that message was the announcement for the time of his first training session with the club as well as the official press presentation.

Consensual resolution The final investiture arrived to Stramaccioni at around 9:45 pm last night: a telephone call from Moratti who forced the new Inter coach to leave Radio Radio, which was on live, in a hurry "because I have to answer this very important call."  Ranieri, in Rome since yesterday morning, learned about the termination at around 9:00 pm as he was informed directly by Massimo Moratti while other directors were busy contacting his agent and lawyer, Beppe Bozzo.  A few details needed to be discussed and at the end, all parties agreed on the choice of a consensual resolution because in Ranieri's two-year contract, all variables had been planned before hand, including possible termination in his first year.  Ranieri, however, has requested to greet the team before leaving the club.

Already in the morning It was a very long day, one that led to this turning point.  Moratti started his morning just like four weeks ago, with the same words and bitterness.  On February 27, the day after the loss to Napoli, he said: "Will Ranieri still be there on the bench against Catania? Yes, I think so."  Yesterday, as he was on his way to this office in the early afternoon: "Ranieri until the end of the season? I think so."  The same uncertainty, but behind there was another disquietude.  Because Moratti had already confronted the urge to change everything and start over.  Already in the morning, Ranieri was on the edge of the abyss of uncertainty that he had walked on for over a month.  He was never closer to be released before this morning.  The situation had never been so discouraged for the former coach as he was counting the hours.  The president was also in the dark: losing against Juve after seeing the best first half of the season was much more indigestible than losing at home to Novara, Bologna.  An eerie feeling of emptiness.

Overall recidivism "It was a bad blow," admitted the president.  Bad and, again, even more indigestible after seeing the repeated errors from the team; the questionable substitutions (those of Obi and Poli) that have not been convincing; for having to listen over and over again the coach's post-game statements - always the same - which usually are full of confidence and determination but then later get slapped by the results on the field.  Those things have started to become tiring for Massimo Moratti and annoying for those who had to listen.

Moratti's doubts A nuisance which led Moratti to question from different perspectives.  But before coming to the final decision, the president found himself once again questioning whether or not to entrust the team to Stramaccioni.  To analyze the pros and cons of a solution which has a coach who was seen primarily as a guide of youth projects and now will have to govern the first team.

Decisive meeting At around 5:00 pm, Moratti called a meeting with vice general director Filucchi, technical director Branca and sporting director Ausilio.  First, he spoke mainly of the young winners of NextGen in London: "I think there are 3-4 players that can have a few minutes with the first team."  After that face-to-face meeting with his closest collaborators, Moratti decided not to speak: "Nothing to add to what I said before."  It was about 7:30 when he said that.  Actually, there was still much to add.

Source: Gazzetta dello Sport