Jose Mourinho: 'Difficult to accept Claudio Ranieri sacking'

By Barney Corkhill, Editor | 24 February 2017

Mourinho: 'Difficult to accept Ranieri axe'

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho claims that Leicester City should rename their stadium after sacked manager Claudio Ranieri.

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has said that Leicester City should rename their stadium after Claudio Ranieri rather than sacking him.

The Foxes parted company with the Italian yesterday just nine months after he lifted the Premier League title, overcoming 5,000-1 odds to pull off one of the greatest achievements in sporting history.

Mourinho, who wore the initials 'CR' on his shirt during today's press conference in "homage" to Ranieri, suffered a similar fate when he was sacked as Chelsea boss just seven months after steering them to the title, but he insists that there can be no comparison between his position and that of Ranieri.

"My little homage to somebody that wrote the most beautiful history in Premier League. He deserves the Leicester stadium to be named 'Claudio Ranieri Stadium'. The most beautiful thing in the Premier League and one of most beautiful in football history. Now Leicester are in the highlights again with a decision that has everyone in football united," he told reporters.

"It's very difficult to accept. It's important to realise how football is and we need to react. He is paying for his success. Probably the season started with typical selfishness of others. People thinking about new contracts, leaving, more money. It is a bit of our world. Some principles are going away a little bit. I had a similar experience [at Chelsea], but it was peanuts compared to Claudio.

"I don't think he needs more. Nobody can do what he did. If some of the stories have just a little bit of truth, it is difficult to find words to justify but we have to be able to cope. I am not inside. I have no right to try to find scenarios. I think it is Claudio's fault. If he had finished 12th last season, it would be amazing achievement but they would still be thinking about relegation and he would still be in a job."

Ranieri has already been linked with the Fiorentina job, while former Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has emerged as the early favourite to take over at the King Power Stadium.