Leicester ouster was a shock, says Ranieri

“The first thing that comes to mind is the sense of surprise, even more than bitterness,” the Italian has said.

Claudio Ranieri was ousted as Leicester City manager nine months after an unprecedented Premier League triumph.

Surprise was a more prominent reaction for Claudio Ranieri than bitterness when he was removed as Leicester City manager, less than a year after leading that team to an unprecedented English Premier League title triumph. Ranieri’s ouster earlier this year stunned many in the football fraternity, following which Ranieri had said, “my dream died.”

In Italy, participating in a ceremony to honour football coaches in Italy, Ranieri confirmed the shock he felt, despite having been toughened with years of experience. “Thinking of Leicester, the first thing that comes to mind is the sense of surprise, even more than bitterness. I have been through a lot in my long career, but never anything like this. It was a shock, but in the end these things are part of football,” he was quoted as saying by Gazzetta dello Sport .

Ranieri, however, was not willing to divulge much on the topic. He said he will elaborate more on it when he will speak as a pundit on Sky Sports next month.