Leicester City sack title-winning Claudio Ranieri

fiifi anaman

February 23, 2017 8:23 PM

The Italian has been shown the exit door after a poor run of form culminating in a Champions League loss to Sevilla

English champions Leicester City have parted ways with manager Claudio Ranieri.

The club confirmed the Italian's departure in a statement late on Thursday February 23, close to a day after they lost 2-1 away to Sevilla in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 tie.

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"Leicester City Football Club has tonight (Thursday) parted company with its First Team Manager, Claudio Ranieri," the statement said.

"First Team preparations for Monday’s Premier League fixture against Liverpool will resume on Saturday, with Assistant Manager Craig Shakespeare and First Team Coach Mike Stowell taking charge of the squad until a new manager is appointed."

The 65-year-old, appointed in July 2015, led the hugely unfancied Leicester to a remarkable Premier League triumph last season, an achievement considered to be one of club football's greatest.

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However, results this season haven't been good. The team, facing relegation, is yet to score a Premier League goal in 2017 and have lost their last five consecutive games.

Despite winning their Champions League group, they face a very likely possibility of exiting after Wednesday's loss at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.

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Vice Chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha said: “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.

Ranieri, a former Chelsea manager, was named FIFA coach of the Year for 2016.

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