BREAKING: Leicester City sack Claudio Ranieri

Premier League champions Leicester City have sacked Claudio Ranieri nine months after the Italian guided them to their first ever league title.

This was disclosed in a statement published on the club’s official website on Thursday, February 23.

A statement by the club’s vice chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha read: “This has been the most difficult decision we have had to make in nearly seven years since King Power took ownership of Leicester City. But we are duty-bound to put the club’s long-term interests above all sense of personal sentiment, no matter how strong that might be.

“Claudio has brought outstanding qualities to his office. His skilful management, powers of motivation and measured approach have been reflective of the rich experience we always knew he would bring to Leicester City. His warmth, charm and charisma have helped transform perceptions of the club and develop its profile on a global scale. We will forever be grateful to him for what he has helped us to achieve.

“It was never our expectation that the extraordinary feats of last season should be replicated this season. Indeed, survival in the Premier League was our first and only target at the start of the campaign. But we are now faced with a fight to reach that objective and feel a change is necessary to maximise the opportunity presented by the final 13 games.”

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Club statement: #lcfc and Claudio Ranieri part company:http://leic.it/2mhyoGR 

9:02 PM – 23 Feb 2017

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Ranieri, appointed City manager in July 2015, led Leicester City to the greatest triumph in the Club’s 133-year history last season, as the Foxes were crowned champions of England for the first time.

His sack comes just one day after Leicester were beaten 2-1 by Sevilla in the last-16 of the Champions League at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan stadium.