Leicester City keeper Kasper Schmeichel furiously denies reports player power led to the sacking of manager Claudio Ranieri - Leicester goalkeeper Schmeichel has denied players had any influence in the surprise sacking this week of manager Claudio Ranieri
- Reports suggested a delegation of senior players had spoken to club's owners
- Ranieri was sacked on Thursday despite Premier League win last season
- Schmeichel repeatedly said in interview that players have no influence
- Italian boss said goodbye to players and staff at training ground on Saturday
Leicester City goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel has furiously denied that he was part of a group of senior players responsible for the sacking of manager Claudio Ranieri.Schmeichel insisted he and none of the other Leicester players had any influence over the decision of Leicester owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabna and vice-chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha to dismiss their Premier League title-winning manager.His comments come despite reports of dressing room rancour towards Ranieri over changes to formations and tactics during a disastrous season that sees them flirting with relegation to the Championship. Schmeichel was the first Leicester player to front up since the football world was stunned by news of Ranieri's sacking on Thursday evening.
In an interview with BBC Five Live, he reinforced the claims made by now-caretaker manager Craig Shakespeare that no meeting between players and board over Ranieri's future.
He said: 'What Craig said that there was no meeting is completely true. All these reports about meeting - I don’t know where they’ve come from. What I can say is that the owners are very hands-on. They are in and around the club.' They have been here all the time. They come to practically every game, they come to the training ground and they speak to all the players regularly. In a spearate interview for Soccer Saturday on Sky Sports, Schmeichel said: 'They are very hurtful reports. I can only say as a player at this club I, or any other player, has no influence on any decision like this or any say of any kind.
'Our owners are very, very successful businessmen who have made decisions in their business lives many, many times and made big decisions for the club previously.'They make the decisions, we have no influence. We don't kid ourselves that we influence or make anything happen at all.'Pressed on the claims of player power, the 30-year-old Dane added: 'I'm as upset about these reports as anybody. They are deeply hurtful.
'For me, to read these type of things, it is absolutely ridiculous to think any player in any squad across the country has that type of influence or power to make decisions like this. It is absolutely ridiculous.'
Schmeichel was not asked at any point whether a delegation of senior players held a meeting with the Srivaddhanaprabna family or any other member of the Leicester board.
He insisted: 'I am a footballer, I have no influence on these type of decisions or any other player at this club has that influence.
'The owner make the decisions, they have always done that, they have sacked managers before at this club. We as players have to get on with it. Nobody wants to see anybody lose their job.
'I have nothing but the utmost respect and gratitude for Claudio for what he did at this club. It is the highlight of everybody's career and if you ask any player, they will say the exact same thing.
'What is a great shame is that we have not performed on the pitch. It is as simple as that. We as players have to look at ourselves because we haven't performed.'
Schmeichel also described how Ranieri came to the club's Belvoir Drive training ground on Saturday morning to clear his desk and say farewells to the players and staff.
He said: 'Claudio came in and said his goodbyes, thanked the players for their efforts and thanked them for last season. We achieved something amazing together so it is sad that it's come to this.
'As always, a very classy man, very humble, very gracious. When you share a moment like that together, you feel sad that it comes to this and I'm sure Claudio feels the same.
'He was a very gracious, there was absolutely nothing. He thanked every single player and every single member of staff.'
The Leicester players began to post their own tributes to their former boss on social media on Saturday.
Riyad Mahrez tweeted: 'Big respect to this great man who helped us achieve history, you helped me build myself as a player and gave me the courage I needed.
'You believed in me from day one . Huge Thank you for everything and good luck. God bless.'
Ranieri was informed by City's director of football Jon Rudkin of the decision to sack him as the team landed at East Midlands Airport following their Champions League last-16, first leg tie at Sevilla.
Leicester lost the tie 2-1, scoring a crucial away goal courtesy of Jamie Vardy, but it is understood that the club's owners made the decision to get rid of Ranieri following the listless 2-0 league loss at Swansea on February 12.
The Foxes return to action on Monday night against Liverpool at the King Power Stadium.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-4259386/Kasper-Schmeichel-denies-player-power-led-Ranieri-exit.html#ixzz4ZiY4bCCV
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