Claudio Ranieri’s sacking at Leicester City has done little to convince football fans that there is any sentiment left in football.
Ranieri finds himself unemployed just nine months after orchestrating not just the greatest achievement in Leicester’s existence, but perhaps in the history of the sport.
But Leicester’s owners have forgotten about last season’s Premier League triumph and, with the club 17th in the table, felt that the only option was to sack Ranieri.
The Italian wasn’t helped by his players, either, who reportedly expressed their concerns about the 65-year-old to the owners after Wednesday’s defeat to Sevilla in the Champions League.
Ranieri made a string of changes that disgruntled his players, including replacing chicken burgers with pasta as the post-match meal and frequently tinkering with his line-up.
But Ranieri should have been given the chance to rescue Leicester. He took them to the Champions League but won’t even be around to lead the club’s bid to reach the quarter-finals.
The majority of Leicester fans were willing to forgive the club’s troubles this season, because of what Ranieri achieved last year. Relegation to the Championship? Oh well, nobody can erase them as one of the six clubs to win the Premier League.
Leicester supporter and Match of the Day host Gary Lineker was reduced to tears by the decision.
“It is very sad,” Lineker told BBC Radio 4. “It is inexplicable to me. It’s inexplicable to a lot football fans who love the game.
“I shed a tear last night for Claudio, for football and for my club.”
Ranieri joins a number of managers who were sacked after winning the Premier League title, including Jose Mourinho (twice sacked by Chelsea), Carlo Ancelotti, Roberto Mancini and Manuel Pellegrini.
So success doesn’t always guarantee job security. Paradoxically in Arsene Wenger’s case, lack of success seems to have guaranteed job security.
It will be 13 years since Wenger last delivered a Premier League trophy at Arsenal in May. Yet, to the bemusement of a growing number of Gunners fans, he still finds himself in the hot seat at the Emirates Stadium.
PIERS MORGAN TROLLED WENGER
And one person who isn’t happy about it is Piers Morgan, who used Ranieri’s sacking as another opportunity to blast Wenger’s title drought.
Morgan posted and retweeted a series of tweets mocking the Arsenal manager’s record, even comparing him to Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn for his refusal to leave Arsenal.
Check out Morgan’s tweets below.
Two successive managers sacked the season after winning Premier League.
Meanwhile, Wenger continues after 13 years of not winning it.— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) February 23, 2017
Wenger’s smarter than I thought. He worked out best way to keep his job was to avoid winning the League. https://t.co/2cUwhU7x6d
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) February 23, 2017
Corbyn. Wenger.
Two failed Islington dictators who refuse to surrender power. pic.twitter.com/XrATbKaS2l— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) February 24, 2017