Claudio Ranieri says he asked his Leicester players to be ‘desperate like last season’ and denies that he was 24th choice for the job.
The former Juventus, Roma and Inter boss has taken the Foxes on an extraordinary run to the top of the Premier League since arriving last summer.
He spoke about his methods in an interview with Radio Anch’io Lo Sport, explaining that he gave top scorer Jamie Vardy ‘the freedom to explode’.
Claudio Ranieri says he asked his Leicester players to be ‘desperate like last season’ and denies that he was 24th choice for the job.
The former Juventus, Roma and Inter boss has taken the Foxes on an extraordinary run to the top of the Premier League since arriving last summer.
He spoke about his methods in an interview with Radio Anch’io Lo Sport, explaining that he gave top scorer Jamie Vardy ‘the freedom to explode’.
“Was I 24th choice in the summer? I don’t think it’s true, but here in England it works like this,” Ranieri said.
“Everyone compiles a list of names and then slowly cuts it down to two or three before interviewing them and choosing the best. I talked about my ideas and evidently I convinced them.
“The Leicester model? There’s a salary cap here, so you can’t spend over a certain amount, that’s how the small teams don’t fail.
“Where do all our wins come from? This is a team that stayed up in the last few games of last season, with a different system of play and by giving everything. I realised something had to change, but gradually.
“I said to my players that I wanted to always see them as ‘desperate’, like they were at the end of last season. And slowly but surely they’ve gained more confidence.
“Leicester’s season? We’re doing well even though the other teams aren't gelling. I told my players: It’s this year or never.
“The guys really want to win. Vardy scored goals in the lower divisions. Four years ago Leicester bought him for £1m and it seemed like madness. This year I’ve left him with the freedom to explode, just as I’ve tried to limit our carelessness.”