Top News

The Italian manager was dismissed just nine months after guiding Leicester City to their extraordinary Premier League triumph in 2016.

When Claudio Ranieri led the underdog Leicester City side to one of the most extraordinary title wins in English football history, few could have imagined that the Italian would lose his job less than a year later.

Yet, only nine months after the Foxes shocked the world, Ranieri’s time at the King Power Stadium came to an abrupt end, as the team’s title defence had turned into a desperate fight against relegation.

By February 2017, with Leicester sitting just one point above the relegation zone, Craig Shakespeare was appointed caretaker manager. Ranieri, in turn, was left to reflect on a whirlwind 18-month spell in charge that had taken him from euphoria to heartbreak.

“Unfortunately, the next season didn’t go anywhere near as well,” Ranieri told FourFourTwo. “I had warned everyone that repeating what we had done was impossible. Competing in both the Premier League and the Champions League is extremely demanding, especially if you’re not used to it. The physical and mental energy required is immense.”

He added, “In the league, particularly against the top sides, our performances were still strong. Whether we won or lost, the players gave everything. But European football takes its toll, and we paid the price domestically, often against teams of lower stature.”

The Foxes’ Champions League campaign had been a highlight, as they topped their group ahead of Porto to set up a Round of 16 clash with Sevilla – a fixture that would ultimately mark the end of Ranieri’s tenure.

“Our Champions League adventure was truly special,” the Italian recalled. “We won our group with one game remaining and didn’t concede a goal in the first four matches. We lost 2-1 at Sevilla in the first leg of the Round of 16. It was a tough period in the league – we had managed to earn only one point from the previous six games. That night, on the flight home, I was informed that I would no longer be the manager.”

“I didn’t respond, but honestly, it hurt deeply. Just nine months earlier, we had achieved the impossible by winning the Premier League together – and now I was being dismissed? Why? Later, the chairman’s son told me that the issue was I didn’t get along with some of the English staff members. I found that unbelievable.”

“Even during the title-winning season, one of the staff members had been talking negatively about me to the players. I called him into my office and asked him why – he couldn’t give me an answer,” Ranieri revealed. “At that point, I was too focused on the title race, so I simply told the general manager that we would part ways with him at the end of the season.”

“When we finally won the title, the joy and celebrations were so overwhelming that I decided to let it go. That was a mistake. The following season, he continued to speak against me to the squad.”

A decade later, Ranieri remains philosophical about how things unfolded at Leicester City. “Being sacked is part of a manager’s career, and I came to accept it,” he said. “It hurt me, but not more than other dismissals I’ve faced, because the pride and joy of what we achieved far outweighed any disappointment. That’s football for you.”