Speaking ahead of Leicester City’s game against Fulham on Wednesday, striker Jamie Vardy indicated that he was happy to see his former manager Claudio Ranieri.
Ranieri was Leicester boss during the historic 2015-16 season where the Foxes defied the odds and claimed the Premier League title. However, the Italian tactician was surprisingly sacked the following season when the club looked as though they would struggle to avoid relegation.
It has also been suggested that Ranieri was sacked because of tension between himself and Vardy.
However, most players from Leicester have denied that there was any tension between the two and only said positive things about their former manager. After leaving Leicester, Ranieri went on to have a less than successful managerial spell with Nantes in France.
“No, there was no relationship breakdown, it was just one of those things,” said Vardy, per Leicester Mercury.
“We were trying new things and they weren’t working. Unfortunately in football it’s one of those things where the manager is the person who always ends up getting the blame, then someone else comes in and has to take over.”
Ranieri was recently appointed as manager of Fulham following the sacking of Slavisa Jokanovic and will have to try and steer the club away from the relegation zone. The Cottagers are clearly struggling in the League this season following their promotion from the Championship last term and they face a tough task to avoid the drop.
Regardless of what may happen to Ranieri between now and the end of his managerial career, he surely will always have a special place in the hearts of Foxes fans. He is also likely to always get a raucous reception whenever he visits the King Power Stadium.
