Dubai: Former Leicester City coach Claudio Ranieri has reportedly turned down offers from Dubai clubs in recent weeks, according to The Times.
The 65-year-old Italian, who was sacked last month despite defying 5000-1 odds to lead the Foxes to a fairytale first Premier League title last season, has also rejected offers from Italy’s Palermo and Germany’s Wolfsburg, as well as unnamed clubs in China, it was reported. He’s apparently holding out for a swift return to management in England’s top-flight.
Ranieri lost his job at Leicester after a nine-game losing streak left the club hanging one point above the relegation zone. Since his departure, Leicester have won all four of their matches to move six points clear of the bottom three and have reached the Champions League quarter-finals.
“Thinking of Leicester, the first thing that comes to mind is the sense of surprise more than bitterness,” British media quoted Ranieri as saying at an event in Rome on Tuesday.
“The biggest thing is I’m just a coach who has had the joy of winning a championship with a fantastic adventure and then to experience the sorrow of what happened next.
“I had been through a lot in my long career, but never anything like this. It was a shock. Even if in the end, these things are part of football,” he added.
Meanwhile, Kasper Schmeichel may be targeted by other clubs this summer but Leicester City legend Peter Shilton believes the goalkeeper may take some convincing to leave the King Power Stadium.
Shilton, who played 339 games for Leicester between 1966 and 1974, believes Schmeichel has emerged as one of the top goalkeepers in the Premier League and his performances in the Champions League have also caught the eye this season.
Media reports indicate that Arsenal, Everton, Manchester United and Real Madrid all have the Danish stopper on their radar.
However, Shilton told the Leicester Mercury: “When you have got players who are obviously doing well, as we saw with N’Golo Kante, other clubs might come for them.
“I think that is always a possibility. But he is a hero at Leicester and seems very happy at Leicester. He signed a new contract at the end of last season as well.
“I met him recently and he doesn’t appear to be the sort of person who will just jump ship.
“I was with my wife and his dad Peter. He took us down to meet him in the dressing room. I was really impressed with what a nice, down-to-earth guy he is.
“He was very respectful to me and he seemed a very nice lad. I was very impressed with him as a person.”
