A proud Ranieri said: "The last feat is always the best. The victories against Cagliari leave a profound mark on me because my career began here, Cagliari is above everything.
"There is a lot of work behind this salvation and I take this opportunity to thank all the collaborators, Cagliari is a family, our relatives are all fans. We feel close to them, in difficult moments they have us given support. It's easy that when a team isn't doing well you get booed or cursed, but our fans have always encouraged us, they've always given us that little bit more.
"They came on all the away games we made."
Asked if he will he stay, the veteran coach continued: "Many people have been asking me this question, and for a long time. I have another year on my contract and with president Giulini there is no problem if I want to stay longer, now let me enjoy it, you can understand that my head is in turmoil. Leave me alone. But I know that you journalists are just doing your job.
"The decisive moment was before the match in Udine, immediately after the match against Lazio. I told my collaborators that I was leaving because the team seemed to me to need an electric shock because they were training very well and on the pitch they weren't giving what I saw it. I went to the boys and told them exactly this, I said that I would leave.
"Usually when a coach says these things the team keeps their heads down and the coach leaves. That was the moment they talked to each other and then we started playing the games we had to play."