Claudio Ranieri has made his return to the Premier League. Just less than two years after he was axed by Leicester, the Italian tactician has found a new coaching job in the English top-flight.
The Tinkerman will now take over newly-promoted side Fulham. The Londoners have appointed the Premier League-winning boss shortly after parting ways with Slavisa Jokanovic, the man who guided them to promotion.
The sack was inevitable for Jokanovic. After picking up only five points in the opening 12 rounds, the Cottagers now sit dead last in the standings and in need of a shake-up.
Speaking after Claudio's appointment, Fulham chairman Shahid Khan underlined the Italian's experience as his most appealing attribute. The 67-year-old knows the English top-flight very well and has enjoyed unforgettable success in this league before.
"Making a change without having the right answer or succession plan was not an option," Khan said in a statement on the club's official website.
"So having someone of Claudio's caliber ready to accept our challenge was comforting but, most of all, essential.
"Claudio is risk-free and ready-made for the Premier League, and particularly so for what we need at this moment at Fulham.
"His recent body of work with Leicester City is literally legendary, and then you look at Claudio's experience with Chelsea and big clubs throughout Europe, and it's pretty evident we are welcoming an extraordinary football man to Fulham Football Club."
In his first spell in the Premier League, Ranieri led Chelsea to a second-place finish and guided them to the Champions League semi-finals. However, his biggest achievement came years after, having won the league title in extraordinary fashion with the Foxes.
The Tinkerman began the 2015/16 season with Leicester as one of the favorites to be relegated, but beat the 5,000/1 odds and won the league. Ranieri would go on to be sacked just nine months later, but that will forever remain as the biggest fairytale story in football in recent years.
At Craven Cottage, he will be tasked with turning their fortunes around as quick as possible. His debut game will be a home clash with Southampton on November 24.
