Leicester City head coach Claudio Ranieri told an Italian television station that he will be returning to the newly crowned Premier League champions next year, despite acknowledging it may be impossible for the club to replicate the year they just had.
The dream came true for Claudio Ranieri and Leicester City on Monday after Tottenham Hotspur drew 2-2 at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea. The experienced 64-year-old tactician had finally won his first league title, and the Foxes shocked the world by being named the champions of England.
Even though there have already been a plethora of rumors linking Ranieri away from the King Power Stadium, he made it clear to Italian television station Rai 3 that he will be back with Leicester City next season.
“I am staying at Leicester,” he said, via Football-Italia. “This is a year that cannot be repeated, next year we’ll try to fight for a top 10 place, hopefully. We must continue to grow and to do well.”
Despite coaching some of Europe’s biggest clubs, Ranieri had never won a league title before. The Italian had spent time with the likes of Chelsea, Juventus, Roma, Atletico Madrid, Napoli, Valencia, Inter Milan, Fiorentina, and Monaco, but always fell short of topping the table.
“I always thought that I’d end up winning a league title somewhere eventually. I am the same man who was fired by Greece, perhaps someone there had forgotten about my career.”
Ranieri won’t be forgotten anytime soon in Leicester City, though, as the party is just getting started in East Midlands.
They may have already solidified the Premier League title, but the Foxes still have two matches to be played. They will play their first ever home match as Premier League champions on Saturday, when they host Everton at 12:30 p.m. ET. They will ironically conclude the season away to last year’s champions Chelsea, on May 15th.
For more Premier League news, be sure to visit our hub page.