Former Manchester City manager denies contact from Leicester

Former Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has denied there has been contact from Leicester City to succeed Claudio Ranieri.

Leicester made the shock decision to sack Ranieri on Thursday evening less than 12 months after the Italian led the club to the Premier League title and the hunt for his replacement has started immediately.

A number of managers have already been linked with the top job at Leicester, although Mancini, who won the Premier League with City and ended his playing career with the club, has denied any approach from the Foxes.

“I have not talked to anyone from Leicester, so that is not true,” Mancini told Radio Deejay, via Football Italia.

“The team is having trouble, but what Ranieri did last season was incredible. He could’ve taken them to Premier League safety this season too. I’m afraid in England the clubs are picking up some of our bad Italian habits.

“Last year was the miracle, this term things just seem to be going wrong for Leicester. They also lost a fundamental player like N’Golo Kante. I don’t believe the players were actively working against him, as I’ve never seen any player do that. It’s also not true that I ever got into a fight with a player.”

Mancini has been out of work since leaving his position as Inter manager just before the start of the current campaign, although he has been linked with a return to the Premier League since then.

The 52-year-old has not managed in England since leaving City in 2013 after four years at the club in which he led them to their first ever Premier League title as well as the FA Cup in 2011.

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