Claudio Ranieri: Leicester won't crumble like Jose Mourinho's Chelsea did

CLAUDIO RANIERI believes his champions won’t crumble like Jose Mourinho’s did last season.

By Jon West

SEEN OFF: Mourinho was sacked after Chelsea's defeat to Leicester last season

Ranieri leads Leicester out at Wembley tomorrow in the Community Shield against Mourinho’s Manchester United.

The Foxes beat odds of 5000-1 to win the Premier League last season while Chelsea fell apart at the seams as they mounted a disastrous defence of their title.

Mourinho paid for it with his job and was sacked following a public meltdown after a 2-1 defeat by Leicester in December left Chelsea just a point above the relegation zone.

But Ranieri insists he has no such fears over his side this season.

“When I have built something, it has never been destroyed,” said Ranieri.

“I think we have built a very strong foundation. Now we are slowly making a ground floor, then the first floor, the foundations are very solid.

“I don’t know what happened with Chelsea, they were the champions but my philosophy is watching over my house not another house.

“And my house is very clean.”

Mourinho accused his superstar players of betraying him at Chelsea following that Leicester defeat, with the stench of dressing room rebellion taking a while to be removed by his replacement Guus Hiddink who eventually steered the club to 10th.

Ranieri admits it will be difficult to replicate last season’s title success, especially as midfield dynamo N’Golo Kante has left for Chelsea and star man Riyad Mahrez could yet follow him out of the door.

            

   

A debut season in the Champions League will also add to their workload.

But Ranieri is demanding that his players put absolutely everything on the line again - just like they did last season.

“Suffer for your team-mates, help your team - that is my philosophy,” he said.

“Last season we did something that is hard to repeat, we know that very well, but I want the maximum from myself and everybody.”

The Italian has already read the riot act to his players after their recent 4-0 pre-season defeat by Paris St-Germain in LA.

And he reckons those lessons had been taken on board even though they were beaten 4-2 in midweek by Barcelona.

He said: “I spoke with my players and I said ‘I know you very well now. And now I want more. Forget what we have achieved, I want more. You can’t tell me that ‘this is my maximum’. I want more than my maximum of last season’.

“That’s why I was not so happy in LA because I did not see the same mentality together. Everybody worked hard but not as a team.

“Against Barcelona we lost but I watched a team. On Sunday victory is important of course but I want to see a team, my team, where everybody is working together.”

And Ranieri has dismissed any suggestion that tomorrow’s match doesn’t really matter.

He added: “A friendly? When is the Community Shield a friendly?

“Of course we will be at the maximum and Manchester United will be at their maximum. The two teams want to win. I am very excited.

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