RANIERI TO SPILL BEANS ON SACKING
CLAUDIO RANIERI is ready to break his silence on being sacked by Leicester when he appears as a television pundit for Arsenal’s visit to Crystal Palace next month, Sportsmail can reveal.
The Italian will be in the Sky Sports studio for Monday Night
Football and the Premier League clash at Selhurst Park on April 10 and it is understood questions about his spell at Leicester are firmly on the table.
Sources indicate that Ranieri has chosen the forum due to Jamie Carragher’s staunch backing in his Sportsmail columns. Fellow Sky pundit Gary neville was also critical of the call to dismiss Ranieri nine months after guiding Leicester to the Premier League title.
Barring a short statement where he said his ‘dream died’, the 65-year-old has been silent since his shock sacking after the Champions League defeat in Seville, as the club sank closer to the relegation zone.
Ranieri yesterday received a special prize at the Italian coach of the year awards here in Florence, 32 days after being dismissed by the champions.
La Panchina D’oro (Golden Bench) recognises the top performances from managers in Serie A, B and C, but Ranieri was honoured too because of his title-winning exploits. Before picking up his tribute, he told
Sportsmail he would speak when he returned to england for the game at Selhurst Park.
‘I will come back for Crystal Palace versus Arsenal,’ Ranieri said. That match, crucial at both ends of the table, will come almost two months to the day since he last paid close attention to a Premier League game — Leicester’s 2-0 loss to Swansea which ultimately sealed his fate.
Ranieri kept his words brief as he addressed the audience of coaches, which included Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri and former Manchester CIty manager Roberto Mancini.
He said: ‘Thirty years ago when I was starting to be a coach I didn’t imagine I would have a professional career. But after 30 years of it I can say, “I got it”. And this award means that I did something good.’
Mancini, meanwhile, denied meeting Leicester after Ranieri’s exit. The former City manager was linked with the post but uttered a firm ‘no’ when asked if the club had been in touch.