WE DIDN’T KNIFE YOU, CLAUDIO!
Schmeichel and Vardy deny any role in sacking
KASPER SCHMEICHEL and Jamie Vardy angrily denied Leicester’s players influenced the sacking of Claudio Ranieri, on the day the club’s Thai owners told the squad Premier League survival now rests in their hands.
Ranieri visited Leicester’s Belvoir Drive training ground for the final time yesterday (right) ahead of caretaker boss Craig Shakespeare’s first session in charge, to say goodbye to his former team, with the mood said to be sombre.
Schmeichel said Ranieri thanked everybody for their efforts and the same sentiment was expressed back. The Dane hit back at suggestions player power had spelt the end for Ranieri and admitted performances had not been good enough. ‘We are players, we can only affect on the pitch and we haven’t done that,’ said Schmeichel. ‘What happens above our heads at boardroom level is completely out of our control.’
The goalkeeper described reports of dressing-room rancour aimed at Ranieri as ‘very hurtful’ and denied there had been a meeting between senior players and the owners after the Sevilla defeat last week.
But he added: ‘What I can say is that the owners are very hands-on. They are in and around the club. They have been here all the time. They come to practically every game, they come to the training ground and they speak to all the players regularly. We talk to them about all manner of things from the weather to the pitches.
‘For me, to read these type of things, it is absolutely ridiculous to think any player in any squad across the country has that type of influence or power to make decisions like this.’
Vardy echoed the goalkeeper’s sentiments, saying: ‘There is speculation I was involved in (Ranieri’s) dismissal and this is completely untrue, unfounded and is extremely hurtful!’
Schmeichel added: ‘I have nothing but the utmost respect and gratitude for Claudio for what he did at this club. It is the highlight of everybody’s career and if you ask any player, they will say the exact same thing.
‘We as players have to look at ourselves because we haven’t performed. The league table doesn’t lie. We are in the position we are because we haven’t been good enough.’