Claudio Ranieri was overcome by emotion after his Cagliari side snatched a last-gasp 1-0 win against Bari to earn promotion back to Serie A.
Leonardo Pavoletti came off the bench in the 89th minute and volleyed an added-time winner to seal a 2-1 aggregate triumph.
Ranieri, a former Premier League title winner with Leicester, had only joined Cagliari at the end of December, with the Sardinian team 14th in Serie B.
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But he has led Cagliari back to the top flight in his second spell at the club — more than 30 years after his first, when he secured back-to back promotions from the third division to Serie A.
The 71-year-old appeared tearful at the final whistle, clutching his head in his hands, before being mobbed by his jubilant backroom staff and holding one in a long, emotional embrace.
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ pic.twitter.com/ZCotlepgHR
— Cagliari Calcio (@CagliariCalcio) June 12, 2023
The first leg on Thursday had ended 1-1 as an early goal from Gianluca Lapadula was cancelled out by a late penalty by Bari’s Mirco Antenucci. Had the second leg also ended in a draw, Bari would have gone up after finishing higher in the table.
Cagliari struggled to create for most of the match, but in the pouring rain at the Stadio San Nicola, Pavoletti struck four minutes into added time.
The result sent Ranieri’s side back into the top flight after a one-year absence. They will join Frosinone and Genoa as promoted sides in Serie A for the 2023-24 season.
Bari finished the season in third, five points ahead of Cagliari in fifth.
(Photo: Getty Images)
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