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#2 Nantes
Claudio Ranieri arrived at Nantes in the summer having been sacked by Leicester months earlier, yet the Italian carried with him the title of Premier League champion, having spectacularly won the crown at the King Power Stadium.
When he arrived in France, he was offered a bold target: he was told to win the league.
It is true, Nantes had finished the previous season in spectacular form, yet they had also lost head coach Fabio Conceicao, who had moved to Porto in the summer after pledging his future to the Ligue 1 outfit by signing a new contract. By departing so swiftly, the left their plans in disarray.
Nantes’ transfer action took place almost exclusively towards the end of August, with Ranieri having been given only a brief time in which to assess his squad. Initially, the results were unspectacular, but having started with a focus on the defence, he has managed to lift them into the European race thanks to their organisation.
It is true, Nantes are not a particularly exciting side to watch, but they have been highly effective and Ranieri has started to adopt a more attacking attitude in recent weeks, in part thanks to the form of ungainly yet effective forward Emiliano Sala.
For all their pre-season torment, Nantes have completed nearly half the season and find themselves only three points back of second-placed Lyon. This promises to be another season to remember for Ranieri.
