Montella handed Roma reins

Struggling Roma have appointed former striker Vincenzo Montella as interim manager following Claudio Ranieri’s departure on Sunday.

Under-fire Ranieri tendered his resignation following Roma’s stunning 4-3 loss at Genoa, their third straight defeat in the Serie A.

Montella, who scored 118 goals in 267 appearances with the Italian club, will take over Ranieri’s post until the end of the season.

The 36-year-old, who has been working as a youth team coach at the Stadio Olimpico, will be formally presented to the media on Tuesday ahead of Roma’s midweek league trip to Bologna on Wednesday.

He will be tasked with turning the club’s stuttering season around, with the club languishing in eighth place on the Serie A table following a dire run of results.

Sunday’s trip to Genoa led to the resignation of Ranieri, who watched in horror as his players wasted a 3-0 half-time lead at the Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris.

The latest loss came just days after Roma fell 3-2 at home to Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League, putting their European campaign in serious jeopardy.

Montella’s interim appointment has fuelled speculation that former Roma midfielder Carlo Ancelotti could return to the Italian capital ahead of the 2011/12 season.

Ancelotti, now managing Premier League club Chelsea, is reportedly on the verge of being sacked after the Blues were bundled out of the FA Cup by Everton over the weekend.