LONDON: Leicester City have appointed Italian ‘tinkerman’ Claudio Ranieri as manager after the parting of the ways with Nigel Pearson.

Ranieri, a former Chelsea, Juventus and Atletico de Madrid coach, said: “I’m so glad to be here in a club with such a great tradition as Leicester City. I have worked at many great clubs, in many top leagues, but since I left Chelsea I have dreamt of another chance to work in the best league in the world again.

“I wish to thank the owner, his son and all the executives of the club for the opportunity they are giving me. Now I’ve only one way for returning their trust: squeeze all my energies to getting the best results for the team.”

Club vice-chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha added: “His achievements in the game, his knowledge of English football and his record of successfully coaching some of the world’s finest players made him the outstanding candidate for the job and his ambitions for the future reflect our own.

“To have attracted one of the world’s elite managers speaks volumes both for the progress Leicester City have made in recent years and for the potential that remains for the club’s long-term development.”

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