Leicester players did not ‘kill’ me, insists Claudio Ranieri

Claudio Ranieri has denied player power lost him his job as Leicester manager, saying they did not “kill” him.

Less than a year after guiding the Foxes to a stunning Premier League title success, the Italian was sacked amid a relegation battle.

Several key players were unable to perform as they had done in the previous campaign, but form improved drastically after his departure. New boss Craig Shakespeare won his first six games in charge and Ranieri’s former assistant only suffered a defeat for the first time against Everton on Sunday. The swing in form after Ranieri’s exit added fuel to the stories the players had forced him out, but he dismissed this.