Et tu Brute?

LONDON. - Claudio Ranieri was sensationally sacked by Leicester after being ruthlessly knifed by the club’s English Premier League winning stars.

Leicester’s senior players told the club’s owners they were unhappy with Ranieri after the Champions League defeat at Sevilla, according to Sky sources.

Sky Sports News understands the players met with the owners on Thursday morning following Wednesday’s 2-1 defeat in Spain.

The meeting was called by the owners - not the players - and they were told by the senior professionals that the relationship between Ranieri and the other members of the coaching staff, including assistant manager Craig Shakespeare, had broken down.

Ranieri was sacked on Thursday evening, just two weeks after the owners gave him their “unwavering support”.

First team coach Paolo Benetti and sports science coach Andrea Azzalin have also left the club with Ranieri.

The Italian delivered the title last season in the face of 5 000-1 odds.

But it has not saved him from the axe with the club 17th after five successive League losses and in grave danger of relegation.

Now the club’s Thai hierarchy are believed to be lining up a big-hitter to come in like former Leicester star Roberto Mancini or Guus Hiddink.

MirrorSport understands senior Leicester players recently complained about Ranieri to the club owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha.

After winning the title with a settled side and formation, Ranieri’s “tinkering” this season drove his title winners mad and they feared he was taking them down.

After a 3-0 home loss to Manchester United earlier this month, a senior star walked into the players lounge and declared: “That’s it, we don’t know what we are doing, we are ****ed.” Ranieri angered stars by this season changing everything from the line-up regularly to even the postmatch menu as chicken burgers were replaced by pasta. - Sky Sports-The Mirror.