Leicester sacks coach Ranieri

Coach Claudio Ranieri was fired by Leicester City just nine months after leading the team to the Premier League championship.

Coach Claudio Ranieri. Photo: Reuters

This is not too surprising, because Leicester City has been on a downward spiral since the beginning of 2017, losing 7/9 matches. The most recent was the 1-2 loss to Sevilla in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 on February 23.

With such poor performance, Leicester City has fallen close to the danger zone in the Premier League, only one point above the relegation zone. Therefore, although considered a hero for bringing the first Premier League championship in Leicester City's 133-year history, the team's board of directors still decided to fire coach Ranieri to stop the team's decline.

“This is the most difficult decision we have had to make in nearly seven years since taking charge of the King Power Stadium,” vice-chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha told reporters. “Ranieri is the most successful manager in the club’s history. But in the current situation, we have to put the long-term interests of the club above personal feelings. This is a painful decision but necessary to save the club.”

By firing Ranieri, Leicester City will have to pay a large sum of money in compensation, because at the beginning of this season (August 2016), the team extended the contract with the Italian coach for another 4 years.

Along with coach Ranieri, two assistants Paolo Benetti and Andrea Azzalin were also fired. Meanwhile, assistant Craig Shakespeare was appointed as Leicester City's interim coach before the team's board of directors found a new coach.

According to TTO