Ranieri: I'm curious to see how Leicester react

Claudio Renieri

The Italian manager led the Foxes to an unlikely Premier League title and he admits he is intrigued to see how they cope with the extra pressure next season.




Claudio Ranieri says he is "very curious" as to how Leicester City react to being one of the Premier League's top teams next season.

The Foxes lifted the English crown last term after a fairytale campaign, despite finishing just above the relegation zone the previous year.

And Ranieri insists he is not thinking about winning the title in 2016-17, but is intrigued to find out how his players deal with the extra attention.

"Now this season of course, I'm very curious, first of all, to see how we react," Ranieri told ESPNFC. "Last season was a fairytale. OK, now it's back, I don't think anymore [how to be] the champions, blah, blah, blah.

"Now our focus is the next match, the next match is against Manchester United for the Community Shield, which is very important match for us. And then starts the Premier League.

Champions Of Epl 2015/2016

"I want to see how we react, what happens, because I'm sure there will be more defeats. It's normal. Then we start the Champions League - very good and difficult matches, no?

"It's not so difficult for the [body], you spend a lot of energy but no, it's here; the mental energy you go to spend, and I want to see how they react."

The former Roma and Inter manager admitted that his side's title win still has not sunk in.

"No, of course, no," he said when asked. "At the beginning our goal was to be safe. Slowly, the team got confidence, it was a very, very amazing performance, match by match, day by day, they work so hard and we improved a lot.

"I think one of our keys was to be consistent during all the season. Believe in yourself without thinking -- winning, losing, drawing, it wasn't important. It was important to fight every match.

"When we lost against Arsenal, if I remember well it was the beginning of February more or less, and we lost in 95 minutes 10 v 11, and I thought: 'Oh, if Arsenal need 95 minutes to beat us and we played with 10 men, oh it's not bad. We lost, but we are very strong to beat.

"And then there was something the players understood, and I also I gave to them a one-week holiday because they played so well. I think that was good for them. They recharged the batteries and when they came back to the training ground they believed more and more and more. It was good.

"I think there was something special this year, no?. The big teams don't make a fantastic job. We start at the beginning, if you remember, well, there were two, three matches we were losing two-nil, and we go back 3-2, 2-2, 1-0, 1-1 and that was important to take confidence to believe in ourselves.

"In November, we say 'Oh OK we are at a good point.' In December, I don't remember, 40 points more or less, and said?: 'OK we're safe.'"

"Now I didn't want to see my players slow down. For me, it was important, I talk to my players: 'Train how you play Saturday. I don't want during the training session, play easy without effort, no, no, no, no. I want the maximum every time, every time.'

"I always ask a little more, a little more. The first goal was 40 points, be safe. After, OK, now it's December, but in May, what happened? And OK, I say: 'Try to enjoy now.' And we enjoy a lot. And after say 'Try to achieve the [Europa League qualification]. And when we got that, OK, 'Try to get Champions League qualification, and we achieve that.

"And then I say, 'OK now, try to win the title. Just step by step, step by step, believe, believe. And fight with the fight spirit, thinking the next match is the last match of the season. In or out, in or out. That was our leitmotif during all the season."