Claudio Ranieri has been sacked as Juventus coach and youth team boss Ciro Ferrara has taken over, the club said yesterday.

The Turin side is a point above fourth-placed Fiorentina with two matches left and is in danger of slipping out of an automatic Champions League berth after a run of seven Serie A games without a win. "Juventus announces that Claudio Ranieri has been sacked as manager. From today the first team has been entrusted to Ciro Ferrara," a statement said. Ferrara is also Italy assistant manager. Ranieri succeeded Didier Deschamps in June 2007 after Juventus was promoted back to Serie A following its demotion for match-fixing.

(Agencies via Shanghai Daily May 19, 2009)