Leicester’s dismal display this season will leave many supporters dreaming of the good old days under Claudio Ranieri.
Ruud van Nistelrooy has failed to replicate the magic of the iconic Leicester manager, with the Foxes tipped for relegation to the Championship.
It was only nine years ago when Ranieri and Leicester made Premier League history by becoming champions at 5000/1 odds.
FA Cup triumphs aside, the Foxes have been on a gradual decline from that moment – a decline that arguably kickstarted by Ranieri’s sacking in February 2017.
Claudio Ranieri speaks on what went wrong at Leicester City
After reaching unprecedented heights in 2015/16, Leicester and Ranieri came crashing back down to earth the following season, as the Foxes slipped dangerously down the Premier League table.
Sat just point above the relegation zone with 13 games remaining, the Leicester owners bit the bullet and surprised everyone by sacking the Italian.
Two months on from his controversial dismal, Ranieri would reveal the ‘main problem’ which led to his sacking, whilst featuring on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football.
“I believe our turning point was the Sevilla match, because in the second half I saw everybody fight together again. Jamie scored a goal. Not because we weren’t together before, because we made very good matches against Arsenal, against Tottenham and Manchester City.
“We did not have the same consistency of the year before, that was the main problem for us,” said Ranieri.
The Italian boss would be let go by Leicester in the aftermath of the Sevilla game, and he believed the decision didn’t come as a surprise to him despite what others had thought.
“Sevilla was the team who won the Europa League three times in a row. It is not easy to go there and lose 2-1 and then have open match at home. We were very, very strong at home. When I was sacked it wasn’t a shock for me but I think it was for a lot of people.”
Ranieri’s career post Leicester City heroics
Ranieri wouldn’t wait long to get back into the managerial game after his Leicester sacking, hopping across the channel to take over at French side Nantes in June 2017.
The ex-Foxes boss would then return to English shores with Fulham, before short stints back in his homeland with Roma and Sampdoria.
He would then make one last return to England in 2021, managing Watford for three months followed by a pair of iconic reunions with Cagliari and Roma.
Once you take a look at the Italian’s CV, it will come as no surprise that Jose Mourinho described Ranieri as ‘legendary’.
| 2017–2018 | Nantes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018–2019 | Fulham | ||
| 2019 | Roma | ||
| 2019–2021 | Sampdoria | ||
| 2021–2022 | Watford | ||
| 2023–2024 | Cagliari | ||
| 2024– | Roma | ||
Leicester’s struggles and Ranieri’s impressive Roma stint may leave Foxes fans dreaming of an unlikely reunion with their iconic boss.