Coach Claudio Ranieri’s “Quiet Strength” Awarded the Anticoli Menorah

Former Roma football coach Claudio Ranieri has won many awards in his career. Yet he had never been awarded one with a Jewish symbol. Now, however, the recently turned executive coach can exhibit his FiuggiStoriaSport 2025 prize, which bears an unmistakable menorah engraved next to the city’s gates. The seven-branched menorah evokes Fiuggi’s Jewish legacy. The city, known for its mineral springs in the Lazio region, is the namesake of the history prize.

In the past, Fiuggi was known as Anticoli. A vibrant Jewish community lived there from the 12th century onward, and their presence was so significant that the name Anticoli remains in the family names of many Roman Jews. Pino Pelloni, the president of the prize committee, told Pagine Ebraiche that this perspective has always defined the FiuggiStoria award.

When presenting the award to Claudio Ranieri, Pelloni praised his athletic achievements and his “discretion and quiet strength” as the coach of one of Italy’s most prominent football teams. Among Ranieri’s accomplishments, Pelloni recalled the victory over Leicester City, which he described as “a monument to the power of authentic fairy tales. It’s Cinderella defeating the giants of international football: David defeating Goliath with discipline, trust, and team spirit.”