Italian Serie A club Juventus on Monday announced that the team's coach Claudio Ranieri had been sacked after poor results this season. The 42-year-old Ciro Ferrara, a former Juve defender and current coach of the club's youth team, will replace Ranieri.

Juve drew 2-2 at home Sunday with Atalanta, leaving the Turin side three points behind second-placed AC Milan with two games to spare. Inter Milan has clinched the Serie A title.

Juventus' coach Claudio Ranieri watches the squad before their Champions League match against Artmedia in Turin in this August 13, 2008 file photo. Ranieri has been sacked as Juventus coach after a poor run of results and youth team boss Ciro Ferrara has taken over temporarily, the club said May 18, 2009

Ferrara is expected to remain as coach only until the end of the season, though media reported that Juventus may have longer-term plans for him.

Ranieri, a former Chelsea manager, took over at Juventus two years ago just as the club had been promoted back to Serie A after a season in the lower division as punishment for its role in a match-fixing scandal.

Italy's national soccer squad assistant coach Ciro Ferrara poses during a training session in Coverciano in this May 25, 2006 file photo. Juventus coach Claudio Ranieri has been sacked as Juventus coach after a poor run of results and youth team boss Ciro Ferrara has taken over temporarily, the club said May 18, 2009