Year ago today that Claudio's 'dream died'

[hackneyfox]

Brought a tear to my eye

Claudio Ranieri's statement in full:
Yesterday my dream died.

After the euphoria of last season and being crowned Premier League champions all I dreamt of was staying with Leicester City, the club I love, for always.

Sadly this was not to be.

I wish to thanks my wife Rosanna and all my family for their never ending support during my time at Leicester.

My thanks go to Paolo and Andrrea who accompanied me on this wonderful journey.

To Steve Kitner and Franco Granello for bringing me the opportunity to become champion.

Mostly I have to thank Leicester City Football Club. The adventure was amazing and will live with me forever.

Thank you to all the journalists and the media who came with his and enjoyed reporting on the greatest story in football.

My heartfelt thanks to everybody at the club, all the players, the staff, everybody who was there and was part of what we achieved.

But mostly to to the supported. You took me into your hearts from day one and loved me. I love you too.

No one can ever take away what we together have achieved, and I hope you think about it and smile every day the way I always will.




It was a time of wonderfulness and happiness that I will never forget.

It's been pleasure and an hour to be a champion with all of you.
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/claudio-ranieris-statement-full-admitting-9912064

[Guest]

Was thinking of this last night as I watched Sevilla against Manu in Spain.

 

Can only feel happiness towards Claudio and hope he has a great life. He seemed such a nice guy.

[TheUltimateWinner]

The man will go down in history for spearheading one of the greatest sporting achievements of all time.

 

All of the players, management and support staff deserve all the credit they receive. Us winning the league was a perfect combination of team spirit, team leadership, years of great scouting, great coaching and a fantastic support. 

 

I really hope he gets the Italian national team job, the man deserves all of his success. Will forever have a place in my heart for giving me the most unforgettable year of my life.

[RoboFox]

Saddest shit I've ever read. Makes "The Fault In Our Stars" look like an edition of Viz. 

 

Got in from a night out on Saturday with my other half and started watching stuff on YouTube. Can't remember what took us to it but we ended up watching Claudio's speech and the Bocelli performance... I'm not one for getting massively emotional, but knowing the day was coming up and the skinful I'd had, I absolutely lost it. Blubbering like a little girl into my Scotch.

 

She was more than happy to remind me the next morning, of course. 

 

 

Edited 22 February 2018 by RoboFox

[Costock_Fox]

Love the guy, sad to think that a year ago today was his last game in charge for us no matter how necessary it was.

[Foxxed]

The letter reminded me how incredible the guy is. It's good to see him doing well at Nantes too. A sad story of course. He tried to change our style of play after Kante left, and failed. Then Shakespeare tried to revert to how we once played, and failed. Now it's Puel's time.

[murphy]

But Claudio achieved his dream and gave all of us ours.

 

It was the right decision at the time and actually protected his legacy.  Relegation would have been a stain.

 

I will always remember him with great fondness and grattitude and wish him every success at Nantes.

[RonnieTodger]

Always makes me sad the way it ended, but it was completely the right decision. Look at us now compared to that shit show of domestic football. The timing was really strange and he probably should've gone after the Swansea game, if not Millwall.

 

He deserved a better send off, but I'd rather he got sacked than taken us down, which he was definitely going to do.

Edited 23 February 2018 by RonnieTodger

[ultrafox]

Was watching the Gary Lineker's "Impossible Dream" BBC documentary last night for the umpteenth time. It's the most uplifting viewing since It's a Wonderful Life!

 

Claudio's pizzas, "Dilly Ding Dilly Dong...wake up man we're in the Champions League"...ah what a story! All the world news headlines!

 

It still brings a tear to my eye!  Mille Grazie Claudio!

 

btw....Does the Claudio wall mural still exist in Leicester?

Edited 22 February 2018 by ultrafox

[Wolfox]

I’m still p/ssed off...

[Babylon]

I hope he comes back in a few years when enough water has past under the bridge, he deserves a proper goodbye and a statue.

[ajthefox]

Feels like an absolute age ago 

[Footballwipe]

I mean, I hate to be a pedant. But you don't celebrate your birthday on the day of the week you were born... 

 

This thread becomes valid tomorrow tbh.

[hackneyfox]

Definitely deserves a statue.

Perhaps it needs the fans to start asking the owners for one.

[Lovejoy]

3 minutes ago, ajthefox said:

Feels like an absolute age ago 

I thought that, thankfully I think/hope we can now all remember the amazing 15/16 season without labouring on what came afterwards.

[Fox92]

1 minute ago, hackneyfox said:

Definitely deserves a statue.

Perhaps it needs the fans to start asking the owners for one.

Doubt it will happen. Our ground is just "King Power" even the banners of our old players were taken down.

[AjcW]

I hope one day i'm at the game when the Birch brings out a special half time guest and it's him. Like Babylon said he deserves a proper send off.

[Hugo Sanchez]

Feel sorry for Pearson more, spending all them years at Leicester. Building a side and all the hard work he put in. It should had been him with the trophy and him leading us into the champions league.  Imagine how he felt, watching some journeymen take all your hard work and saying how he done it  

 

Thank you shakey and Steve Walsh for that season.

 

 

[Webbo]

24 minutes ago, Hugo Sanchez said:

Feel sorry for Pearson more, spending all them years at Leicester. Building a side and all the hard work he put in. It should had been him with the trophy and him leading us into the champions league.  Imagine how he felt, watching some journeymen take all your hard work and saying how he done it  

 

Thank you shakey and Steve Walsh for that season.

 

 

Yeah, we really looked like winning the title under Pearson.

[murphy]

15 minutes ago, Webbo said:

Yeah, we really looked like winning the title under Pearson.

Wouldn't have happened with Pearson.

 

But also wouldn't have happened without him

[Webbo]

Just now, murphy said:

Wouldn't have happened with Pearson.

 

But also wouldn't have happened without him

I wouldn't argue with that.

[bovril]

All of them gave me something I never imagined we would even get close to. Sounds corny but it changed my life in some ways and provides me with a lot of inspiration at times.

I can't really feel any negative emotions to anybody that was associated, even Kante leaving or Mahrez sulking. These guys won us the league, they could murder my granny and I'd probably shrug it off. And Ranieri, gracious and humble through it all, personified our title win more than anybody else. The way he conducted himself that season represents many things I appreciate in football and life in general. 

[dmayne7]

Only a year? Wow. Feels like eons ago

[Tuna]

It was the correct and only decision to make as painful as it was at the time.

 

We'll always remember the astonishing journey, the end doesn't diminish it one bit.

[Arriba Los Zorros]

Right decision to let him go and in hindsight I'm amazed anyone could say otherwise. He was a genius for a year and very astute in knowing that he'd inherited a good side and to only make little adjustments.

 

However, as soon as he had to put his real stamp on the side, it was a mess, on and off the pitch.

 

The bottom line is though - stars aligning or not, he gave us our greatest ever year, nobody can take it from us, and nobody can take it from him.