Rarely do you see a managerial dismissal result in an outpouring of emotion as great as that afforded outgoing Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri.
The club announced on Thursday evening that it had parted ways with the Italian manager, less than a year after he led them to a scarcely believable Premier League title.
It was no doubt a tough decision for the Foxes, but one which the club’s owners must have felt was absolutely necessary after a run of five straight defeats without a goal scored left the club hovering just above the relegation zone.
Leicester fan and former player Gary Lineker had his say about the “gut-wrenchingly sad” decision, and the sentiment from more or less everyone seemed to suggest that – whether or not it was a ‘correct’ call – is was upsetting to see.
1,
surely Leicester should be building a statue of Ranieri rather than sacking him – or am I just old fashioned?
— Tim Vickery (@Tim_Vickery) February 23, 2017
2.
We'll never see anything as wonderful as Leicester winning the Premier League for as long as we live, will we? Ranieri ❤️❤️❤️
— Nozza_ (@Nozza_) February 23, 2017
3.
Ranieri will always be the goddamn boss, and will never pay for a pint or a glass of wine again in his life. 🙌🏿
— Musa Okwonga (@Okwonga) February 23, 2017
4.
Ranieri is an immortal but a manager has one job: get the most from his players. When he can no longer do that, no point in keeping him.
— Jack Pitt-Brooke (@JackPittBrooke) February 23, 2017
5.
Ranieri was just a wonderful man. Beyond anything sports related, it sucks to see a wonderful man like that sad.
— Zito (@_Zeets) February 23, 2017
6.
Actually feels good that Ranieri has got the bullet. Hate to see a lovely fella be tortured. He'll go down in history regardless.
— John Nicholson (@JohnnyTheNic) February 23, 2017
7.
https://twitter.com/hmclandress/status/834857952771203073
8.
Ranieri deserved better than to be treated like this but to say "the game's gone" is to not look at the bigger picture. He had gone.
— David Preece (@davidpreece12) February 23, 2017
9.
https://twitter.com/ThatDamnYank/status/834855302960930817
10.
https://twitter.com/tomEurosport/status/834887818124136448
11.
https://twitter.com/NutmegRadio/status/834856937560883202
12.
It would be deeply sad if the players Ranieri stuck with were the ones to repay that with nudging him out of the door.
— James Tyler (still) (@JamesTylerESPN) February 23, 2017
13.
Gary Neville said it a few weeks ago on Sky and I totally agree: sacking Ranieri would make you like football a little less. No gratitude.
— Jonathan Fadugba (@JFfutbol) February 23, 2017
14.
https://twitter.com/iainmacintosh/status/834855334233702401
15.
Thank you, Claudio. You gave English football probably it's most romantic season.
— IBWM (@Inbedwimaradona) February 23, 2017
16.
What Ranieri achieved at Leicester will go down in sporting legend. History will not dwell on the way it ended but on the way it inspired.
— James Masters (@Masters_JamesD) February 23, 2017
17.
https://twitter.com/A_W_Gordon/status/834857665872404481
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