My dream has died, says Ranieri as game unites behind Italian
Title-winning manager ‘shocked’ by sacking Mourinho leads backlash after axing by Leicester
Claudio Ranieri revealed “yesterday my dream died” as Premier League managers united to condemn Leicester’s surprise sacking of last season’s title winner.
Ranieri has broken his silence on the dismissal which has stunned football by admitting his sadness in a heartfelt statement, while it can also be revealed that:
The reigning FIFA World Coach of the Year was sacked in a side-room at the Radisson Blu hotel at East Midlands Airport.
There is “a wave of disbelief and anger” among the managerial community, according to LMA chief executive Richard Bevan.
Potential replacements are wary of accepting the job because of the circumstances surrounding Ranieri’s departure.
Caretaker manager Craig Shakespeare believes he has already been cast as the “pantomime villain” as he looks to lift the club ahead of Monday’s visit of Liverpool.
Roberto Mancini has become the first potential contender to distance himself from the post, with the defending champions drawing up a shortlist as they begin the search for Ranieri’s successor.
Leicester’s Thai owners are under heavy scrutiny after the dismissal of the Italian, just nine months after he guided the club to the title, and Jose Mourinho, Jürgen Klopp and Antonio Conte have all come out in strong support of the 65-year-old.
Manchester United’s Mourinho even wore a shirt with the initials ‘CR’ yesterday before launching a withering attack on Leicester’s players, effectively accusing them of getting Ranieri the sack.
It can be revealed that a “shocked” Ranieri was informed of the news as the staff and players waited for their luggage, following a difficult landing after flying from Seville.
Ranieri has left with a pay-off of around £3 million, with more than two years left on his contract, and returned to Leicester’s training ground yesterday to collect his belongings.
Hours later he issued his first statement on his departure, claiming he had hoped only to stay with Leicester, a club that he would “love for always”.
He said: “Yesterday, my dream died. After the euphoria of last season and being crowned Premier League champions, all I dreamt of was staying with Leicester City, the club I love, for always. Sadly this was not to be.
“My heartfelt thanks to everybody at the club, all the players, the staff, everybody who was there and was part of what we achieved.
“But mostly to the supporters. You took me into your hearts from day one and loved me. I love you, too. No one can ever take away what we together have achieved, and I hope you think about it and smile every day the way I always will. It was a time of wonderfulness and happiness that I will never forget. It’s been a pleasure and an honour to be a champion with all of you.”
Ranieri has told friends that he was stunned by the decision but suspects “one or two” senior players had turned against him, after a difficult season in which Leicester have won only five league games.
Mancini has effectively ruled himself out of the post, while another contender, Alan Pardew, is understood also to feel uncomfortable about the prospect of replacing such a popular manager.
Bevan, chief executive of the LMA, said: “There has been a wave of disbelief from managers and coaches around the world. It has led to the most number of calls the League Managers Association has ever received, with everyone wanting to pass on their best wishes to Claudio and their disbelief as to what has happened.
“When a team performs the remarkable achievement of delivering the holy grail of the Premier League in the way that Leicester did there is often a dip.
“What you need at that stage is strong leadership but sadly we have not seen that from Leicester’s owners and again it appears to be another case of foreign owners being out of touch.”
With Ranieri out of work, Craig Shakespeare, his No 2, will take charge for the game against Liverpool on Monday and is thought to be a serious contender for the post until the end of the season.
Recruited by Nigel Pearson, Shakespeare has an excellent reputation and a close affinity with the Leicester dressing room.
At a press conference yesterday he refused to rule out taking the job, while admitting his difficulty in temporarily succeeding Ranieri. “I feel a bit like the pantomime villain sitting here,” he said. “It’s very sad and we all know in football that these things can happen.
“We’ll have to make sure we remember him, he’ll get the utmost respect from everybody associated with the club for what he’s achieved. We know that people lose their jobs because of results and ultimately the owners have made that decision. There’s frustrations with everybody, coaching staff, players and I think there’s lots of reasons why.”
Mourinho also led the support for Ranieri with a typically forthright assessment. Sacked by Chelsea last season after another alleged player revolt, he said: “I thought when I was sacked as a champion, it was a giant negative thing. Now I realise it was peanuts compared with what happened to Claudio.
“Some principles are going away a little bit, so I am really sorry about it. I think everyone in football [is] united because the decision is something very difficult to accept.”
Liverpool manager Klopp added: “There have been a few strange decisions in 16/17: Brexit, Trump, Ranieri. Do I have to understand all the time – obviously not.”