Sifting Through The Debris Of Claudio Ranieri’s Departure From Leicester City
Photo by Michael Regan/Getty
Late yesterday, Leicester City announced that they had cut ties with Claudio Ranieri, nine months after he led the Foxes to a shock coronation as Premier League champions. Whether this was the right decision for the club remains a subject for debate. Regardless, the club pulled the trigger and now face the reality of searching for a suitable replacement even as they inch closer to relegation.
Managers come and go in English football, and the game of touchline musical chairs is, for good or ill, a compelling sideshow in a Premier League. Even so, the sacking of Ranieri has provoked a public and widespread grieving process.
First, caretaker manager Craig Shakespeare used his press conference ahead of the start of Matchweek 26 in the Premier League to dispel rumors that a player revolt had contributed to the decision to fire Ranieri.
”There was a lot of frustration because of the results, but he had not lost the dressing room. A lot of the talk of unrest has been speculation. I’ve not had one problem with the players. I always feel sorry when people lose their jobs. I’m not aware of the club having spoken to any candidates. My relationship with Claudio has been fine all along. I spoke to him last night and he thanked me for my support throughout. It was not brief and we exchanged views. A lot of what we said will stay private.”