This is the meeting that will clarify Claudio Ranieri's Leicester City future

Posted Wednesday, February 08, 2017 by Express.co.uk

This is the meeting that will clarify Claudio Ranieri's Leicester City future
Claudio Ranieri will be backed by owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha

LEICESTER'S Thai owner is making a 12,000-mile round trip to hand under-fire manager Claudio Ranieri a personal vote of confidence today.

Billionaire Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha has changed his plans and will fly from Thailand for Wednesday's FA Cup replay with Derby to speak to Ranieri and his players.

And the duty-free tycoon will tell the manager and his Premier League title-winning squad that the Italian will not be sacked.

Leicester issued a statement yesterday offering Ranieri 'unwavering support' amid stories of dressing-room unrest following four straight Premier League defeats.

The statement was ordered personally by Srivaddhanaprabha, who then decided to fly in overnight to hammer home the message in person.

Sunday's 3-0 home defeat by Manchester United left Leicester just a point above the Premier League drop zone.

It also left Ranieri as bookies' favourite to be the next top-flight boss to leave his job despite masterminding last season's fairy-tale title success, with fears increasing that Leicester could become the first defending champions to be relegated since Manchester City in 1938.

But Leicester said in a statement: "In light of recent speculation, Leicester City Football Club would like to make absolutely clear of its unwavering support for its first team manager, Claudio Ranieri.

"While there is a collective appreciation from everyone at the club that recent form needs to improve, the unprecedented success achieved in recent seasons has been based firmly on stability, togetherness and determination to overcome even the greatest challenges.

"The entire club is and will remain united behind the manager and behind its players, collectively and firmly focused on the challenges ahead."

Leicester have yet to score a Premier League goal in 201, with their title defence faltering and with stars of last season, including Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy, failing to fire.

The prompted increasing speculation that Srivaddhanaprabha could make a change at the top to stave off the threat of relegation.

But the club moved to publicly back Ranieri moments before the Italian was due to speak to the media about tonight's game.

And Ranieri insisted he had not asked for such support from the club. "I think this is for you, not for me, because I know the ideas of the chairman, of the club, of everybody," he said.

"Maybe the chairman wants to stop all the speculation. Every team goes down the speculation is always around the corner. That's OK.

"But I speak all the time to the chairman. This statement is OK for you because with this it finishes all the speculation. But for me my job is always the same – to focus on the next match."