By Jimmy Broni Smith
Leicester
City FC should have handled Claudio Ranieri's ousting a tad bit respectfully in
my humble opinion. For all intents and purposes and by all indications too, the
Italian is the greatest manager ever in the 133 year long history of the
English club. Why? The answer is as simple as drinking water: The Rome born 65
year old masterminded the club's shock win of the English Premier League last
season. A feat which was described by one writer as the greatest "ever
unexpected assault on organised sport".
Ranieri became a global sensation
as a result, captivating viewers from Albania to Zimbabawe with his candour,
humility and easy going mannerisms. FIFA's current coach of the year had in the
run-down to that famous victory with Leicester, hitherto a yo-yo team commuting
between the Premier League and the second tier of English football, the
Championship, forged a strong sense of belief and brotherhood within the squad.
The players talked all through that season of playing for one another from the
Dane, Kasper Scheimeichel in goal to Jamie Vardy the Englishman upfront.
Leicester had the footballing world drooling in excitement with win after win.
On a personal level I voluntarily became a Leicester City fan especially as my
favourite team Manchester United was punching below its weight under the
tutorship of the eccentric Louis Van Gaal. Leicester's is the best underdog
story EVER!
But here is how I think they could have handled the sextuagenarian's sacking and respectfully too to boot.
Who remembers Jose
Mourinho's ouster from Chelsea in the middle of the 2015/16 season? After a
very bad run for Chelsea (which rumour attributed to a fallout between Mourinho
and his players), the uncharacteristic type of bad runs one cannot and will not
equate with any Mourinho side, the Portuguese was sent packing by the
Abramovich led oligarchy. Chelsea released a statement detailing that the now
Manchester United manager had left the West London club by mutual consent. That
was somehow less nerve wracking and shocking in comparison with Tinkerman
Ranieri's dismissal around this same time last night. The message last evening
was stark and tactless in the way it came across: "Claudio Ranieri sacked!"
I didn't see that coming. Ranieri a cult figure at the club would still be
loved if Leicester plummeted down to the second tier. At least that was my
conviction. I thought he was simply UNSACKABLE. But back to Mourinho's sacking
last season: regardless of that finely worded script released by Chelsea's PR
unit, Mourinho was visibly furious and it apparently took him a couple of
months to get over the apoplexy.
Look, nobody is to be fooled into believing that leaving by mutual consent isn't a sacking! The obvious truth is: it is a sacking. Just that it is less controversial and in the minds of many fans it sounds benign and creates the impression that both parties have not had a damaging fall-out. That things were conscientiously worked out in the interest of both sides. Let's take an example from the world of matrimony where many a fall-out is frequent! Some celebrity couples or those with grown children normally announce their falling-out as due to "irreconciliable differences". Thus they should move on but nonetheless remain friends. Think of the most extreme of paradoxes!
Claudio Ranieri is well travelled and has coached top clubs around Europe: Chelsea, Roma, Monaco et al. That is a CV many coaches will die for. Largely viewed as a spent force for many years, his stock rose high up to the firmament when he masterfully tinkered with Leicester to win the Premier League. Such a coach as "The Tinkerman" deserves a lot of respect. Trophies earn you that and what a trophy -- the most hyphed in the world of football! Mourinho was left fuming when he departed Stamford Bridge by "mutual consent", but he walked out through the door with his dignity intact. The Portuguese knows how galling it is to be sacked! Twice at Chelsea! But in his case the professional way it was handled first time out paved the way for his second coming. Hearing him speak today to the press, he was clearly unimpressed with the manner of the veteran Italian's sacking. He paid him "homage" by wearing a shirt emblazoned with his compatriot's CR initials. On seeing it I thought CR7 had come back to town! LOL!
Leicester City should have released a statement in this guise:
"Following a thorough introspection by the club's board in conjunction with its title-winning manager Claudio Ranieri, it is disappointed to announce that it has reached a deal with him to end his contract with immediate effect. Claudio therefore leaves the club by mutual consent. However, his legacy here will never be erased in this age nor the next. This decision is in the best interest of both club and manager. We wish him all the best in his fresh foray elsewhere."
Jimmy writes from Sierra Leone
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