Ranieri quits to return to England

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LONDON, England -- Coach Claudio Ranieri has resigned as coach of Serie A club Parma.

"We thank him for helping Parma stay in Serie A," the club said on their official Web site on Thursday.

Reports in England have linked former Chelsea coach Ranieri with a return to the Premier League with managerless Manchester City.

Ranieri had told a leading Italian sports newspaper that he wanted to recreate his "Chelsea miracle" at struggling City.

Ranieri had been offered a contract extension by Italian side Parma, after steering them to safety in Serie A.

But the 55-year-old has rejected the offer and his resignation clears the way clear for him to replace the sacked Stuart Pearce.

"The Manchester City challenge reminds me of the experience I had at Chelsea where without spending, we built a good team," said Ranieri in an interview in Gazzetta dello Sport.

"It was an achievement that convinced (Roman) Abramovich to buy the club. I created the Chelsea miracle from nothing. Then, mountains of money came as well as a selection of top players."

The Rome-born coach guided Chelsea into the Champions League semifinals and also a runners-up finish in the Premiership before Abramovich appointed Jose Mourinho at Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2004.

Ranieri's move to the City of Manchester Stadium appears to rely on a successful takeover of the club by former Thai leader Thaksin Shinawatra.

Shinawatra's cause was helped by the withdrawal of a counter bid by former City player and businessman Ray Ranson on Wednesday.

Thaksin made an indicative proposal to take over Manchester City on May 1. That allowed him to conduct due diligence of the club ahead of a formal offer, which has yet to be made.

Meanwhile, Ranieri has been counting the days for his return to the Premier League, contending it has become the strongest in the world.

"Why England again? Because at this time, English football is a fascinating window that hypnotizes you," he said.

"Some of the richest men in the world would do ridiculous things in order to buy an English club because the Premier League has become a luxury stage.

"Here (in England), there are so many champions, seven or eight teams at the top level just as Italy had some time ago.

"Unfortunately for us, Italian football, we are poorer, despite Milan's extraordinary victory in the Champions League. "To return to England means to be at the center of something important."

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