Spurs and Valencia interested in Ranieri

Claudio Ranieri is unlikely to be short of job offers following his drawn-out dismissal as the manager of Chelsea which was finally made official on Monday.

Claudio Ranieri is unlikely to be short of job offers following his drawn-out dismissal as the manager of Chelsea which was finally made official on Monday.

As Jose Mourinho prepares to move into Stamford Bridge, Ranieri can take his time to weigh up his options. A return to his former club, Valencia, is a possibility after Rafael Benitez's decision to leave the Spanish champions yesterday.

Valencia's leading shareholder, Francisco Roig, has called for the board's resignation following Benitez's decision to quit, and claimed he had lined up Ranieri as a replacement.

Ranieri helped to transform Valencia into the force they are today during his first spell at the Mestalla. Now, with one of the best teams in Europe, they would be hard to turn down.

Yet on leaving Chelsea, Ranieri indicated that he would like to stay in England. Liverpool is the most attractive vacancy but Benitez appears to be in line for the job, so Tottenham would be the most likely option. However, there is some dispute as to whether Ranieri would be entitled to his £6m compensation should he take another job in London - a move that is against the Chelsea board's wishes.

The challenge of restoring some pride to Tottenham is one that Ranieri could fancy. Before handling Chelsea's big-money stars, Ranieri worked wonders with lower-profile squads at Valencia, Fiorentina and Cagliari. It is perhaps the area in which he excels.

However, Tottenham, mindful that they may not lure Ranieri, have made a surprise approach to Jacques Santini, who will lead France against England in Euro 2004.