Claudio Ranieri – Leicester City, 2015-present
Following the roller-coaster ride that was Nigel Pearson’s managerial tenure which included play-off defeats, avoiding relegation despite being bottom at Christmas, choking Crystal Palace’s James McArthur, a sex tape scandal featuring Pearson’s son and of course the “ostrich gate” saga, surprising Leicester City fans would, for most, prove a tricky task.
Cue the employment of the managerial super sub embodied by Claudio Ranieri ultimately aimed at surviving relegation, as was stipulated in terms of his contract leaked online. It stated the Italian would earn an extra £100,000 for every position he finished above 18th, what has followed has been nothing short of a football fairytale.
Bringing a club from the foot of the table, seven points from safety, to the top of the table, seven points clear of second place in a year, is something that is unlikely to ever be replicated again, as well as his side scoring in each of their opening 17 matches.
The well documented success stories of Jamie Vardy, N’Golo Kante, Riyad Mahrez and Wes Morgan only add substance to the quite unbelievable story that is Leicester City’s season.
Despite well and truly earning his position in the proverbial starting XI of football management, Ranieri’s opportunity to turn a club figuratively on its head was only given to him as a result of a drastic need for change.
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