Foxes give ranieri the boot Time runs out for Leicester boss

LEICESTER CITY - Master-minding one of the greatest upsets in sports history wasn't enough for manager Claudio Ranieri to keep his job at Leicester.

Ranieri was fired on Thursday, nine months after guiding the Foxes to the English Premier League title after preseason odds of 5,000-1.

Leicester's Thai owners took the drastic measure with soccer's ultimate fairytale threatening to have an unhappy ending.

In a dreadful title defense, the team is one point and one place above the relegation zone and in serious danger of losing its status in the sport's most lucrative league.

"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," said Leicester vice-chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha.

The Foxes look headed for relegation with 13 games left. They haven't scored a goal in six league games in 2017 and have won just one of their past 10 league games.

The team was eliminated from the FA Cup last weekend by third-tier team Millwall, which won 1-0 despite playing most of the second half with 10 players.

"His status as the most successful Leicester City manager of all time is without question," a club statement said of Ranieri. "However, domestic results in the current campaign have placed the club's Premier League status under threat, and the board reluctantly feels that a change of leadership, while admittedly painful, is necessary in the club's greatest interest."

Leicester, with a team of journeymen, castoffs and previously unheralded players, won last season's Premier League title by 10 points - a feat widely viewed as one of the greatest in all sports.

Ranieri last month was voted FIFA coach of the year, and the Leicester story captured the hearts of the sporting world and beyond.

However, the values behind the surprise success - hard work, attitude, team spirit - all but disappeared as Leicester slipped closer to the bottom three in the Premier League. Star players, including Jamie Vardyand Riyad Mahrez, failed to rediscover their form of last season.

Ranieri came under heavy pressure in recent weeks and reportedly fell out with some of his players. The club qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League with a game to spare in the group stage it lost 2-1 to Sevilla in the first leg on Wednesday, but even the potential prospect of reaching the quarterfinals of Europe's most illustrious competition couldn't save the manager.

"After all that Claudio Ranieri has done for Leicester City, to sack him now is inexplicable, unforgivable and gut-wrenchingly sad," former Leicester and England player Gary Lineker tweeted.

Leicester could be in the Premier League's relegation zone by the time the team plays its next match, at home to Liverpool on Monday.

Assistant manager Craig Shakespeare and first-team coach Mike Stowell have been placed in temporary charge of the side.

Ranieri was hired by Leicester in July 2015, joining a club that escaped relegation the previous season thanks to a run of seven wins and a draw from its last nine games. Many criticized the hiring because of his disappointing record in his most recent job, as coach of Greece.

He made an instant impact, winning the league in his first season as English soccer's supposed heavyweights found no answer to Leicester's counter-attacking style and unwavering team spirit.

Ranieri charmed the media with his unique phrases and lovable personality.

"His warmth, charm and charisma have helped transform perceptions of the club and develop its profile on a global scale," Srivaddhanaprabha said. "We will forever be grateful to him."

Factfile

Profile of Claudio Ranieri, who was fired as manager of Leicester City on Thursday:

Born: October 20, 1951

Birthplace: Rome

Position as player: Defender

Clubs played for: Roma, Catanzaro, Catania and Palermo

Senior clubs managed: Campania (ITA), Cagliari (ITA), Napoli (ITA), Fiorentina (ITA), Valencia (ESP), Atletico Madrid (ESP), Chelsea (ENG), Parma (ITA), Juventus (ITA), Roma (ITA), Internazionale (ITA), Monaco (FRA), Leicester City (ENG)

National side managed: Greece (2014)

Major honors as manager:

Fiorentina

1993-94: Serie B

1995-96: Coppa Italia

1996: Supercoppa Italia

Valencia

1998: UEFA Intertoto Cup

1998-99: Copa del Rey

2004: UEFA Super Cup

Monaco

2012-13: Ligue 2

Leicester

Changes at the top

Here are all the managerial casualties in the English top-flight so far in the 2016-17 season:

Oct 3 - Swansea fired Italian Francesco Guidolin on his 61st birthday after just over nine months in charge-having saved the Swans from relegation in the 2015-16 campaign. American Bob Bradley was named as his replacement.

Dec 22 - Crystal Palace fired Alan Pardew months after he led it to within minutes of lifting the FA Cup only to lose to Manchester United in extra time. However, only six wins in 36 matches in the calendar year and one in its past 11 brought to an end the Englishman's tenure. Palace appointed Sam Allardyce to replace Pardew on Dec 23.

Dec 27 - Swansea ended Bradley's 85-day tenure, comprising just two wins in 11 matches, and on Jan 3 named highly-regarded English coach Paul Clement as his replacement.

Jan 3 - Hull fired Mike Phelan after 82 days in his full-time role. He had previously been caretaker manager since Steve Bruce resigned a few days before the beginning of the campaign. Portuguese coach Marco Silva was hired to save lowly Hull from relegation.

Feb 23 - With champions Leicester hovering precariously above the relegation zone after losing five successive league matches without scoring a goal, Claudio Ranieri paid the price. The Italian was unable to stem the tide and an embarrassing FA Cup loss at third-tier Mill wall served as the final blow to his reputation amid reports of player unrest at his tactics and team selection. He was fired less than 24 hours after Wednesday's 2-1 Champions League loss at Sevilla.

Associated Press

Claudio Ranieri was fired as manager of reigning English Premier League champion Leicester City on Thursday. The Foxes won last year's title after opening the season as a 5,000-1 longshot, but their current campaign has been marred by complacency, leaving the club just one point above the relegation zone. Reuters