adminJust nine months after leading the club to their historic Premier League title, Ranieri says he was called in and informed of the decision by the club’s hierarchy, led by Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha.
“It hurt,” Ranieri admitted. “Nine months earlier, we had won the league together, and then suddenly I was being told to leave.”
At the time, Leicester were struggling in the league and slipping toward the relegation zone. But according to Ranieri, results were only part of the story.
“He told me to leave because of this…” Ranieri explained, revealing that the real issue was tension behind the scenes particularly with some members of staff.
The Italian manager claims one staff member had been working against him, even during the club’s title-winning season.
“He was saying bad things about me to his mates. I called him into my office…” Ranieri said, recalling how he confronted the situation directly.
Despite addressing it, he chose not to take action immediately because the team was fully focused on securing the title. After their historic success, he decided to let it slide a decision he now believes was a mistake.
The following season, the same problems reportedly continued, affecting the atmosphere inside the dressing room.
On the pitch, things were already becoming difficult. Balancing league football with the demands of the UEFA Champions League stretched the squad beyond its limits. While Leicester impressed in Europe, their domestic form collapsed.
A run of five consecutive defeats left them just above the relegation zone and that’s when the decision was made.
Ranieri was dismissed, and assistant Craig Shakespeare stepped in. He managed to keep the club up and even led a famous comeback victory over Sevilla FC in the Champions League.
Many Leicester fans still felt that Ranieri was let go too soon after everything he did for the club, and he has now revealed that there was more to the decision than just results. Speaking to Four Four Two, the former Chelsea and Roma boss said: “Honestly, it hurt.
Nine months earlier, we had won the Premier League together, but now I was being dismissed? Why? Later, the chairman’s son told me the problem was I didn’t get on with some English members of the staff. Unbelievable.
Looking back, he says he has accepted how things ended.
“Being sacked is part of football,” he said. “It hurt, but what we achieved together will always stay with me.”
Since leaving Leicester, Ranieri has gone on to manage clubs like Fulham FC and Watford FC, before returning to AS Roma in a senior role.
Meanwhile, Leicester’s current situation is once again raising serious concerns.
After relegation from the Premier League last season, the Foxes are now at risk of dropping even further. With only a few games left and poor form continuing, fears of a fall into League One are growing stronger.
For many fans, Ranieri’s latest revelation sheds new light on what really happened and why things fell apart so quickly after their greatest-ever success.
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Abdulhafiz Teslim
