Claudio Ranieri insists Serie A is improving and will soon begin to make a mark in Europe again.

Ranieri has just resigned as Sampdoria coach.

“We will be back, because I see signs of growth that cannot be obscured by the premature elimination of Italian teams," Ranieri told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

“A Serie A that sees the return of [Jose] Mourinho, of [Massimiliano] Allegri and perhaps also [Maurizio] Sarri, will certainly increase the visibility of our entire movement.

“Too bad for [Antonio] Conte, who has left Inter, but I'm convinced [Pep] Guardiola will sooner or later come to coach in Italy too.

“There's one thing we must do as soon as possible, however. We must increase the pace of the game. If we don't do it, it's difficult to be competitive."