Claudio Ranieri breaks taboo and says Leicester can win the title

Leicester manager talks openly of winning Premier League
‘Dilly ding, dilly dong, we are in the Champions League’

Posted Saturday, April 23, 2016 by theguardian.com

Claudio Ranieri has admitted for the first time he believes Leicester City can win the Premier League. With qualification for the Champions League group stage secured following Manchester City’s draw with Newcastle United on Wednesday, Ranieri broke with tradition and declared that winning the championship is now the only target for his players.

Leicester are five points clear at the top with four matches remaining and have the opportunity to extend their lead with victory over Swansea City at home on Sunday, the day before Tottenham Hotspur, their nearest rivals, play West Bromwich Albion at White Hart Lane.

''We are in the Champions League, dilly ding, dilly dong. It’s fantastic, terrific,” the Leicester manager said. “Well done to everybody, the owners, the fans, the players, the staff, everybody involved in it. It’s a great achievement. Unbelievable. And now we go straight away to try to win the title. Only this remains. Mauricio [Pochettino], keep calm!

''I talked with my players: ‘Everything is done, well done we are in the Champions League. And now straight away – try, believe, if it happens – fireworks.’ I believe. Always I believe. I am a positive man, if Tottenham go above us, congratulations but I prefer to be five points ahead. I think they’ll win their final four games but I also think we’ll win. If we win the title it will be unbelievable.”

Ranieri said his players believed him when told they can win the league. “It is difficult but we have everything in our hands. That doesn’t mean we win, it means we believe we can do it. I prefer my position to Spurs. It is not important what they do, for me if they win all the matches it is not important; it is important what we do. Now is the last part of the race and the final is there. We have to push a lot and believe a lot and push with our heart and soul. Carry on and keep going, smiling and fight.”

Leicester will be without Jamie Vardy against Swansea through suspension and their leading goalscorer could also be banned for the game at Manchester United the following Sunday, depending on the outcome of the hearing he requested after accepting the FA’s improper conduct charge in relation to his dismissal against West Ham United.

While keen to stress his focus is on the Swansea match, not the fallout from the Vardy incident, Ranieri echoed Roy Hodgson’s support of the striker. “I think it’s not only sympathy [from Hodgson], I think it was the truth,” he said, alluding to the England manager’s insistence that Vardy did not dive.

''He was going very fast, and when you touch someone you lose balance, maybe it is not a penalty, but sure it is not a yellow card. Football is football. I don’t like to speak about what happened. I forget and I think about the next game. But Roy is an honest man and he said what he watched.”

In the absence of Vardy, Ranieri has to decide whether to play Leonardo Ulloa or Jeff Schlupp through the middle against Swansea or change his formation. Leicester will lean heavily on Riyad Mahrez for goals. The winger been impressive for much of this season but not looked quite the same player in recent weeks.