Fabrizio Ravanelli eager to make Middlesbrough return
Fabrizio Ravanelli would love to manage his old club Middlesbrough, who were recently relegated from the Premier League.
Fabrizio Ravanelli would love to manage his old club Middlesbrough, who were recently relegated from the Premier League, he told the Press Association on Saturday.
Ravanelli feeling nostalgic for Middlesbrough
The 48-year-old, who scored 33 goals in 52 appearances for Boro during the 1996/97 season after making the surprise decision to leave recently-crowned European champions Juventus. La Penna Bianca (The White Feather) however, has not had a wealth of coaching experience since hanging up his boots in 2005.
He spent two years as part of the Juventus youth team coaching staff before an unhappy spell in 2013 at Corsica-based outfit Ajaccio, who sacked him after five months in charge with them second from bottom of France's Ligue 1.
Pearson and Monk being considered for Boro job
Caretaker manager Steve Agnew has held talks with owner Steve Gibson about the full-time post but is thought he is unlikely to be handed the job. Former Leicester City manager Nigel Pearson, Ravanelli's captain at Middlesbrough and Garry Monk, who did an excellent job with Leeds United in the Championship, are seen as the front-runners.
That doesn't deter Ravanelli, whose goals helped Middlesbrough get to both the League Cup and FA Cup finals in the one season he was there before he left for Olympique de Marseille when they were relegated.
“Middlesbrough is in my heart every day”, says Ravanelli, whose remark may come as an eye opener to those who remember his constant criticism about the city and the club’s stark training facilities. “It was a great experience in England, especially as I was one of the first Italians to play in the Premier League. I love the Middlesbrough fans, they are fantastic, and I hope one day it is special for me there again”.
Ravanelli, who scored Juventus' opening goal in the 1996 Champions League final against Ajax before the Italians went on to win the game 4-2 in the penalty shoot-out, says he is keen to prove himself as a manager. “I had to leave early, but I enjoyed my experience in Ajaccio,' said Ravanelli. “I want to start coaching again and I don't want the mistake of making the wrong choice. This is the start of a new career for me and I hope to have the possibility in July before the new season. So why not Middlesbrough?”