Ranieri: ‘A legend was born’ with Leicester City triumph 10 years ago

ROME, ITALY – MAY 04: Claudio Ranieri, Head Coach of AS Roma looks on prior to the Serie A match between AS Roma and Fiorentina at Stadio Olimpico on May 04, 2025 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images)

“There was an incredible positive energy behind the team at that time, but I was only convinced that I would win the Premier League when I actually won the Premier League,” Ranieri told Sky Sport Italia.

“This was considered a yo-yo team, they’d go up and down the divisions, and have just now dropped into the English third tier. When the President hired me, he asked to get 40 points and secure safety from relegation as early as possible. From there, a legend was born.

“I arrived, the team was in a training retreat because they’d sacked the coach, I had two days to prepare watching games from previous seasons. I changed a few things, as they were accustomed to a different system, saw some players who I felt it was right to change, and then the team really started to push.”

When asked if there was a moment or game when he saw the situation change, Ranieri insisted there wasn’t a specific turning point in that remarkable season.

“I started tweaking things because we conceded too many goals. I changed the two wide defenders, and from there the team conceded fewer goals.

MILAN, ITALY – FEBRUARY 05: Claudio Ranieri, Head Coach of AS Roma, looks on prior to the Coppa Italia Quarter Final match between AC Milan and AS Roma at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on February 05, 2025 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

“Another potential moment was a series of three games against Manchester City away, Liverpool at home, and Arsenal away, before the break for international duty.

“Jamie Vardy said to me: ‘Mister, shall we get nine points?’ I replied that if they picked up nine points, I’d give them the whole week off for a vacation. We won 3-1 in Manchester, we beat Liverpool, were 1-0 up over Arsenal until going down to 10 men and losing at the 93rd minute.

“Everyone was so sad in the dressing room, so I told them: ‘I always asked you for the maximum in every game. We lost today, but you gave your best, so in my mind you earned three points. So you can have the whole week off.’ That might’ve been another building block in the victory.”

Ranieri also famously did the ‘dilly-ding dilly-dong’ gesture in training, his version of ringing a bell as a wake-up call to his Leicester City players.

“In all my experiences, I tried to keep everyone involved with a smile,” said the coach.