Ranieri Handed Emotional Chelsea Return

It had a sense of inevitability about it. Unable to be drawn against Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan, Chelsea faced the prospect of drawing Claudio Ranieri’s Juventus, ensuing an emotional return to Stamford Bridge for the Italian.

And that is what has happened. Wednesday 25th February will see the much-loved former Chelsea boss return to the club he managed for four years between 2000 and 2004.

Despite overseeing a trophyless spell at the West London side, Ranieiri was loved by the Stamford Bridge faithful, and his time in charge was packed with memorable games and a fair amount of heartache.

His first game in charge set the tone for much of his reign. Facing the daunting task of a trip to Old Trafford, Chelsea played out an incredible 3-3 draw with their title rivals.

The club came very close to winning the FA Cup under Ranieri’s tutelage, but, deprived of Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink,  they succumbed to Arsenal in the final, losing 2-0.

When Roman Abramovich pitched up in West London in 2003, Ranieri must have felt like he was a kid being given the keys to a toy store.

For the vast majority of his spell at the club, Ranieri had operated on a tight budget due to the club’s financial concerns. In the summer of 2002, Chelsea bought only one player - the little known Enrique De Lucas - on a free transfer.

Newly flushed for cash, Ranieri went on a spending spree unprecedented in world football, purchasing the likes of Hernan Crespo, Juan Sebastian Veron, Damien Duff and Joe Cole.

By the start of the season, he had spent over £100m on new players. Big things were expected, and Ranieri so nearly delivered. The club finished second in the Premier League to an unbelievably gifted Arsenal side, who went the whole season unbeaten.

The Champions League, oft cited as the Holy Grail in football, seemed like a very high possibility once the club reached the Semi-Finals after knocking out London rivals Arsenal.

Unfortunately, the two legged affair with Monaco showcased the worst of Ranieri. In the first leg, Ranieri was lambasted for his questionable tactical changes, including deploying Robert Huth, a centre back, as a right-wing back and playing a clearly unfit Juan Sebastian Veron.

Chelsea lost 3-1 and their hopes of reaching their first Champions League final appeared to be in tatters.

But then, in the second leg, the Blues scored two quick goals to turn the tie on its head and take a step into the final. An incredible game took another turn when Chelsea failed to build on their lead and conceded two goals, smashing their European dream.

Asked for one abiding memory of his spell at Chelsea, many will point out his reaction to Wayne Bridge’s winner at Highbury in 2004.

Few in Chelsea blue will forget that moment. The sheer unbridled joy on his face was evident after a season that had been dominated by rumours that he would be out of a job come the summer.

The scene at the final game of the 2003/2004 season was also charged with emotion. It seemed as if the hanging axe was about to drop on the Italian’s head, and the Chelsea players formed a guard of honour for their manager, and joined the crowd in giving him a rapturous ovation.

In the summer, the inevitable happened.

Ranieri was sacked and Jose Mourinho replaced him. Although Ranieri didn’t win any trophies, he laid the groundwork for Mourinho to guide Chelsea to their first league title in 50 years the following season.

Players such as Cech, Robben, Cole, Duff were all Ranieri purchases and played an important role in the club’s ensuing success.

When Ranieri departed, it was hard not to feel sorry for a man who had gone about his business with a dignity that perhaps would have deserted other members of the managerial fraternity in the same situation.

Because of this, the Italian is sure to get a warm reception when he takes Juventus to Stamford Bridge in February.