A Premier League icon has returned for another bite of the cherry, with the orchestrator of the competition’s greatest ever upset, Claudio Ranieri, taking over the reins at Watford.
The Italian will manage his fourth different side in England, with his most famous stint coming at Leicester City, whom he guided to an astonishing 5000/1 title win.
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Ranieri led the Foxes to arguably the most memorable triumph the football world has ever seen, with Jamie Vardy, N’Golo Kante and Riyad Mahrez helping upset the odds in extraordinary fashion.
But for 69-year-old Ranieri, there were plenty more memorable moments along the way, as one of country’s most loveable imports took the ultimate honour 12 years on from his replacement at Chelsea, Jose Mourinho, calling him a loser.
Dilly ding, dilly dong
As Leicester were closing in on their Premier League win, Ranieri continually refused to comment on his side’s chances, instead saying the only aim was to not get relegated.
One reporter did manage to get some priceless quotes out of the Italian though, asking about reports that he waves an imaginary bell at players when they’re not concentrating.
Ranieri explained: “From the beginning when something was wrong I’ve been saying: ‘Dilly-ding, dilly-dong, wake up, wake up!’ So on Christmas Day I bought for all the players and all the staff a little bell. It was just a joke.”
LCFC YouTube
What the fox?
Leicester’s title win was famously confirmed whilst the players were at Jamie Vardy’s house, watching on as Tottenham collapsed against Chelsea in ‘The Battle of the Bridge’ which handed the title to the Foxes.
The players had to wait until a 3-1 win over Everton at the King Power to finally lift the trophy, with one supporter marking the achievement in a rather odd way.
Spotted outside the stadium with a taxidermy dead fox, a fan aimed to give the gift to Ranieri, whether he kept it, or even got it, remains to be seen.
Pizza and champagne
Italians are famously known for their fussiness when it comes to culinary traditions, but not Ranieri, who once ordered in champagne to compliment celebratory pizzas.
The Rome-born manager promised his players pizza when they kept their first clean sheet of the season, and he delivered after a 1-0 win against Crystal Palace in 2015.
It was then reported that twelve bottles of Moet & Chandon were shipped to the dressing room as celebrations began for Ranieri’s 64th birthday.
“Champagne and pizza is good, not fantastic, but ok,” he said once the party had finished.
LCFC YouTube
I want to kill him!
They say nice guys finish last, and Ranieri looked to be evidence of that idiom with an underwhelming trophy cabinet during such a storied career.
However, the Italian’s personality was clearly a huge part of Leicester’s title win getting the backing from his players as well as the media.
One reporter asked a slightly strange question before a match against Watford, pondering if Ranieri wanted to get revenge over Hornets boss Quique Sanchez Flores who replaced him at Valencia over a decade ago.
“Yeah, big revenge! I want to kill him!” Ranieri joked. “This is football, he is a nice man.”
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Mourinho’s humble admission
Just like Sanchez Flores, Jose Mourinho was the man who replaced Ranieri a year earlier when he took over Chelsea in 2004 before capturing a first Premier League title.
A pompous young Mourinho went slightly over the top on his predecessor saying “It is really not my fault if he was considered a loser at Chelsea.”
Fast forward to 2016, and a more respectful Mourinho honoured Ranieri, saying his achievements at Leicester were far bigger than anything the Portuguese did at Chelsea.
“Chelsea supporters do not forget what I did and in my opinion Claudio did even more for Leicester,” Mourinho said. “What he did there was bigger than all of the titles I won at Chelsea and in 50 years’ time the Leicester fans will still know that.”
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