Montella replaces Ranieri at Roma

Roma acted quickly after the departure of Ranieri, who quit after his side were beaten 4-3 by Genoa on Sunday, having led 3-0 six minutes into the second half.

Montella, 36, scored 118 goals in 267 Serie A matches and netted 84 for Roma during a ten-year stint with the club. He joined Ranieri’s coaching staff in 2009.

“AS Roma have, today, given first team duties to Mr Vincenzo Montella until the end of the current season,” the club said in a statement.

“We are certain he will be able to put the team’s quality together with his professionalism, dedication, enthusiasm and experience.”

Ranieri offered his resignation shortly after Roma’s defeat at Genoa — their fourth in a row. They lost at home to Ukrainian side Shahktar Donetsk in the Champions League on Wednesday and head for the second leg trailing 3-2.

After much speculation about Ranieri’s future, AFP reported that the 59-year-old had told Italian news agency Ansa: “I’ve always thought about the good of Roma and after a game such as today’s I believe it’s right to give a signal.

“After the final whistle I went into the changing rooms to thank the team and I decided to hand in my resignation,” the Italian reportedly said.

The club confirmed his departure in a statement on Monday: ”AS Roma announces it received yesterday evening the resignation of Mr Claudio Ranieri as coach of the first team.

“Following this move, the financial contract with Ranieri, whose deal was coming to an end on June 30, 2011, has ended by mutual consent. Roma wishes to thank Claudio Ranieri for the professionalism shown and the work done.”

Elsewhere, Raul Tamudo’s goal was enough to help Real Sociedad past Mallorca and move them up to seventh in the Spanish Primera Liga.

Tamudo struck on 55 minutes as he nodded a Daniel Estrada cross into the net. Mallorca stay 11th after their defeat.

In England, West Ham powered through to the quarterfinals of the FA Cup with an emphatic 5-1 win over second division Burnley.

The London club will now face Stoke in the last eight of the competition. Striker Carlton Cole scored twice while German midfielder Thomas Hitzelsperger also found the net on his debut.

Source: CNN.