Claudio Ranieri returned to Leicester City’s training ground on Saturday to say final goodbyes to his former players and staff.
Leicester sacked Ranieri on Thursday, nine months after he lifted the Premier League
trophy at the King Power Stadium and with the Foxes now just a single point outside of the relegation places.
The squad’s senior players told the club’s owners they were “unhappy” with Ranieri ahead of his dismissal, according to Sky
sources, but he spent just under 45 minutes at Leicester’s training ground on Saturday for a final talk with his ex-staff.
Leicester’s owners arrived by helicopter shortly after Ranieri’s departure from the training ground ahead of their own talks
with the players and caretaker manager Craig Shakespeare.
“I feel good now, because of what we achieved at Leicester,” Ranieri told Sky Sports News HQ reporter Rob Dorsett as he exited the ground. “I hope it happens again
but it will be very difficult.”
Asked if it had been an emotional goodbye to his former players, Ranieri replied: “No it was normal.”
Ranieri has told those closest to him he felt he still had the respect of the vast majority of the dressing room and only had potential issues with ‘a couple’ of players,
The Italian had admitted his “dream had died” when he was sacked by Leicester, but
thanked those associated with the club for what he called “the greatest story in football”.
Leicester will play for the first time since Ranieri’s departure when they face Liverpool
on Monday Night Football at the King Power Stadium.
