ROME (AP) With his club leading the English Premier League, Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri has been awarded the Enzo Bearzot award for best Italian coach of the season.
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Italian football federation president Carlo Tavecchio made the announcement Wednesday, calling Ranieri “a symbol of Italian excellence abroad.”
After narrowly escaping relegation last season, Leicester has a seven-point lead in England and only needs 12 points from its final six games to be assured of its first top-flight title.
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The 64-year-old Ranieri signed with Leicester before this season after having previously coached Fiorentina, Valencia, Atletico Madrid, Chelsea, Juventus, Roma, Inter Milan, Monaco and Greece’s national team.
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The award was founded in 2011 in honor of 1982 World Cup winning coach Bearzot, who died in 2010.