Claudio Ranieri is set to return to professional top-flight football after retiring earlier this year, with a temporary spell at AS Roma on the cards.
Italian manager Claudio Ranieri is a bonafide Leicester City legend with the former Chelsea manager winning the Foxes first and only Premier League title.
Ranieri joined Leicester in the summer of 2015 after the Foxes narrowly avoided relegation to the EFL Championship under Nigel Pearson and little was expected of the Italian manager.
Leicester went on to win the Premier League title under the Italian in what will always be the greatest story in the history of the competition. Whilst Ranieri would swap the Leicester triumph for a Scudetto with AS Roma, it was a magical time in the East Midlands.
Not only were Leicester entertaining on the pitch but Ranieri made the club exciting off it. Here are some of the most memorable quotes from Ranieri.
Claudio Ranieri’s delight at Leicester clean sheet
Starting off strong with a great quote from the Italian during the title-winning season. Early on in the Premier League campaign, Leicester were sauntering away but were having trouble keeping the ball out of their own net.
After Leicester beat Crystal Palace 1-0 at the King Power Stadium in October 2015, keeping the ball out of Leicester legend Kasper Schmeichel’s net in the process, Ranieri said: “I told them, if you keep a clean sheet, I’ll buy pizza for everybody. I think they’re waiting for me to offer a hot dog too.”
Claudio Ranieri names who would play Jamie Vardy in a film
As the season unravelled, with Leicester still flying high at the top of the division, Ranieri was asked who would play Jamie Vardy in a film about the remarkable campaign. “Robert De Niro would be good,” Ranieri said.
Claudio Ranieri compares Leicester to Forrest Gump
As the season hit December, with Leicester sitting near the top of the tree, Ranieri compared his Leicester team to Forrest Gump, who was played by Tom Hanks.
“Why can’t we continue to run, run, run? We are like Forrest Gump. Leicester is Forrest Gump,” Ranieri said.
Claudio Ranieri on Leicester’s speedy players
One of the hallmarks of Ranieri’s team was the pace in which the Foxes countered with Jeffrey Schlupp, Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy causing problems.
“I say my team is like the RAF, it’s fantastic – whoosh whoosh! – I love it,” he said.
Claudio Ranieri’s Leicester Christmas present
To avoid any slacking off in training, Ranieri brought a bell to wake the squad up and it certainly worked.
“From the beginning when something was wrong I’ve been saying: ‘Dilly-ding, dilly-dong, wake up, wake up!’ So on Christmas Day I bought for all the players and all the staff a little bell. It was just a joke.”
Claudio Ranieri’s delight over Champions League qualification
Despite being near the top of the division throughout the whole season, Ranieri only admitted they were going for the title with just four games to go of the campaign.
“Now we go straight away to try to win the title. We are in the Champions League, dilly ding, dilly dong – come on. We are in the Champions League, it is fantastic, terrific. Well done to everybody.”
Claudio Ranieri on Leicester looking up rather than down
The Italian always had the best analogies on hand for his Leicester squad. “It’s important not to look down or behind you. Like a climber, you need to look up. If you look down, you go, ‘Oh! My God, look where we are!”
Claudio Ranieri is the ‘sausageman’
After saying he would buy his squad pizza if they stayed up, Ranieri was asked whether sausages could be in order after having one made in his name.
“I pay for pizza, you pay for the sausage. I am the sausageman,” he said.
Claudio Ranieri on being called the ‘tinkerman’
The Italian had a reputation of tinkering with his squad too much throughout his career but during the title-winning campaign, consistency in selection was the theme.
When asked if he could rotate his squad after a hectic season, he said: “Before I was ‘The Tinkerman’ and now it’s too much the same!”