Claudio Ranieri looked back on Leicester City’s miracle ten years ago and also discussed topics related to Chelsea.
On the Foxes Miracle
“I was in the right place at the right time. That Leicester City side was called a ‘yo-yo team’ because they bounced repeatedly between the Premier League and the Championship. The club chairman wanted me to keep the team up quickly. The year before, they had fought relegation for a long time and only survived in the final month.”
When did you realize you could make history?
“It was February. We had three huge games in a row: away at Manchester United, home to Liverpool, away at Arsenal, then a break. The players always wanted extra days off. Then Jamie Vardy came to me and said: ‘Gaffer, what if we get nine points?’ I said: ‘Win all three, and you get a week off.’ We beat Man Utd 3-1 away, then Liverpool. At Arsenal, we played with 10 men in the second half and lost 2-1 in the 95th minute, but it felt like a win. I told the players they had a week’s holiday. Then Riyad Mahrez said: ‘Gaffer, how far do you think we can go?’ I smiled. He said: ‘You know.’ He was right. I knew it would be a great season, but I never imagined we’d win the Premier League.”
On Chelsea
“At Chelsea, John Terry impressed me deeply. He was in the reserves, and I promoted him to the first team. Fans and journalists doubted it, but I had no hesitation. I said he would be England captain, and he did. I also told Frank Lampard: ‘You’re a brilliant champion. You can do anything above midfield; below midfield, as an Italian, I’ll help you get better.’ I didn’t create anything out of nothing – I just understood them.”
