Claudio Ranieri named new Leicester manager
Tuesday 14 July 2015 08:21, UK
Leicester have confirmed Claudio Ranieri as their new manager.
The former Chelsea boss has been named as successor to Nigel Pearson, who was sacked last month despite leading City to Premier League safety last season.
Leicester also considered their former boss Martin O'Neill, but Sky Bet suspended betting on the new manager on Saturday after Ranieri was heavily backed.
The Italian, who lost his job as Greece boss in November, has been given a three-year contract.
He said: "I'm so glad to be here in a club with such a great tradition as Leicester City.
"I've worked at many great clubs in many top leagues but since I left Chelsea I have dreamt of another chance to work in the best league in the world again.
"I wish to thank the owner, his son and all the executives of the club for the opportunity they are giving me. Now I've only one way for returning their trust: squeeze all my energies to getting the best results for the team.”
Leicester vice-chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha said: "It is my great pleasure to welcome Claudio – a man of remarkable experience and knowledge that will lead us into the next phase of our long-term plan for Leicester City.
"His achievements in the game, his knowledge of English football and his record of successfully coaching some of the world’s finest players made him the outstanding candidate for the job and his ambitions for the future reflect our own.
"To have attracted one of the world’s elite managers speaks volumes both for the progress Leicester City has made in recent years and for the potential that remains for the club’s long-term development."
Ranieri was Chelsea boss for almost four years until he was replaced by Jose Mourinho in 2004, and he has since managed Roma, Juventus and Inter in Italy and Monaco in France's Ligue 1.
