February 23rd, 2017, Leicester City has announced to part ways with head coach Claudio Ranieri. Ranieri led Leicester City to their first-ever Premier League against all odds and also led the team to their first-ever Champions League campaign in which the team is still alive as the club will play the second leg of the Round of 16 against Sevilla FC.
The club sits at the 17th place in the Premier League table and it seems players such as Vardy and Mahrez who were phenomenal last year just do not have it this season. The paradox is the club won its Champions League group and has a shot at aiming the last 8 of the competition before hosting Sevilla FC with a one-goal deficit. Nonetheless, LCFC management decided to let him go in the middle of the season.
LCFC Chairman Srivaddhanaprabha stated:
“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 skillful 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 maximize the opportunity presented by the final 13 games.”
More than a difficult decision, Ranieri outperformed last season and he did the same in the Champions League this season. A classier club would have probably waited until the season ends but this was probably too much asking from Leicester City Football Club…
