AS Roma have appointed former Fulham and  Leicester City coach, Claudio Ranieri as head coach on a deal until June 2019.

Ranieri replaces Eusebio Di Francesco, who was sacked on Thursday following AS Roma’s Champions League exit incurred by loss to FC Porto on wednesday.

Ranieri was sacked by Fulham last week, after three wins in 17 games with him in charge left the club set for relegation from the Premier League.

“I’m delighted to be coming back home,” Ranieri said. “When Roma call you, it’s impossible to say no.”

This is Ranieri’s second coming as coach of Roma as he was head coach from 2009 to 2011.

“Claudio’s from the city, he’s a Roma fan but more than that, he’s one of the most experienced coaches in world football,” said Roma director Francesco Totti.

“What we need now is a safe pair of hands to guide us back into the top four and ensure that we are playing Champions League football again next season. We have 12 games left and we need to win as many of them as possible.”