Hero to Zero: Leicester City sacks manager Claudio Ranieri

Leicester City Football Club parted ways with manager Ranieri on a statement released on Thursday evening. He has served as the first team manager since July 2015.

He guided the Foxes on clinching the Premier League title for the first time since club’s inception 133 years ago.

“However, domestic results in the current campaign have placed the Club’s Premier League status under threat and the Board reluctantly feels that a change of leadership, while admittedly painful, is necessary in the Club’s greatest interest” a part of the statement read.

In 26 games last season, they topped the table with 53 points. This season with a game less they are 17^th on the table with only 21 points. Last season they conceded 29 goals compared to 43 this campaign. Forward Jamie Vardy scored 24 goals in 36 appearances as Leicester won the title. This season he has managed only five.

A majority of football fans, pundits and commentators have not taken embraced the move wholeheartedly. They term clubs management ungrateful for firing Ranieri. Gary Lineker, a retired England and Leicester footballer and current sports broadcaster tweeted "After all that Claudio Ranieri has done for Leicester City, to sack him now is inexplicable, unforgivable and gut-wrenchingly sad."

Others feel that, more time should have been given to the 65-years-old Italian who put the Foxes on the global map in the game of football.

Former manager Nigel Pearson is linked with a return to King Power, but the most promising contender appears to be former Manchester City manager and Ranieri’s fellow countryman Roberto Mancini.

Leicester will face Liverpool on Monday and Assistant Manager Craig Shakespeare and First Team Coach Mike Stowell will take charge of the squad until a new manager is appointed.