Ranieri tells Pochettino to wait another year for title

With Leicester City in the box seat for an unlikely Premier League title, manager Claudio Ranieri has told Tottenham counterpart Mauricio Pochettino to forget about this season's trophy.

Leicester are five points clear of second-placed Tottenham with four matches remaining in the Premier League.

Despite needing Leicester to slip up at least twice, Pochettino and Co. are refusing to concede defeat in the title race.

However, Ranieri insisted it is Leicester's time to shine, while dismissing his reputation as a 'nearly man' in the managerial world.

"Mauricio, you can wait. Wait for one more year," the Italian said ahead of Sunday's hosting of Swansea City.

"The pressure is always at the top. They have been behind all year. I'm not bothered.

"I would love to stay five points ahead."

Ranieri, who has finished second on four occasions as a manager having fallen short at Chelsea, Roma, Juventus and Monaco, added: "Every time I was behind. I know there are people out there who, if I don't win the title [with Leicester], will say: 'Ah, Ranieri, he always comes second.' Yes, but look at my career. Look at it.

"I was second at Chelsea. But we had started to build a team during the previous year. I continued to buy people during the first Premier League matches. We came second.

"At Roma, I was second. I arrived after two matches. We had zero points. We finished with 80 points. Inter had 82. I lost but what more could I do? I arrived at Juventus the first year after [promotion from] Serie B. We were third, then second. What more could I do? I had four or five champions but others were young players.

"At Monaco we won the second division. Then we finish behind Paris Saint-Germain, second by eight points. Now I try to win this [Premier League title]."