David Luiz and Jose Mourinho pay respect to Claudio Ranieri
Current Chelsea star, David Luiz, and former Blues boss, Jose Mourinho, have paid their respect to Claudio Ranieri after Leicester City sacked him.
Thursday evening marked a sad day in modern football as Claudio Ranieri was sacked as Leicester City manager, months after leading them to an unthinkable Premier League crown. The former Chelsea boss has found numerous supporters amongst the footballing world, with Jose Mourinho and David Luiz just two of the many who took to social media to express their disbelief.
Having been dismissed the season after lifting the title, Mourinho was quick to pay his respect to Ranieri in a classy Instagram post.
Mourinho’s situation was different, as Chelsea had no business being so far down the table. Leicester, meanwhile, were expected to be fighting relegation this season despite last year’s success.
Many believe that had the Foxes finished in the bottom half of the table last time out, Ranieri would still be in a job. Others state that Ranieri’s achievements warranted a safe job for as long as he wanted.
David Luiz also took to Instagram to share his thoughts on Ranieri’s sacking.
These reactions just go to show how negative the response has been to Leicester’s decision. Moreover, it also reinforces the magnitude of the triumph last season.
Leicester were 5000/1 outsiders for the Premier League title, yet they overcame the odds and delivered one of the most incredible sporting achievements in history.
Ranieri was the man at the centre of it all, motivating his players to play out of their skins. This season, they have let him down and he has paid the price. Where Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez linked up unselfishly and effectively 12 months ago, they now loiter around the pitch with apparent disinterest.
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Most pundits expected Leicester City to be fighting for survival this season and indeed they are. However, they are still alive in the Champions League having scored a crucial away goal against Sevilla.
All this makes Ranieri’s dismissal even more saddening. Apparently, a meeting between Leicester City owners and senior players gave rise to the decision. Ranieri was pushed out by the same players he spurred on to immortality.
However, as Mourinho said, no-one will ever be able to delete Ranieri’s achievements from history. He will always go down as the man who led the Foxes to the most unlikely of Premier League crowns. Moreover, he will likely be at the top of the list for most big clubs. That is if the 65-year-old doesn’t fancy riding off into the attractive retirement sunset.