Iconic Italian manager Claudio Ranieri will be in the Stadio Olimpico to watch two of his former teams take on each other in UEFA Europa Conference League semi-final second leg clash after a 1-1 draw at King Power Stadium last Thursday. And it is no secret which team he will be rooting for.
The Leicester hero, who led them to their first-ever major trophy with the sensational fairytale Premier League title triumph in 2015/16, is a Roma fan at heart – even leading the club twice in his managerial career.
However, he maintains the fact that his relationship with the Premier League outfit was ‘purely professional’.
The Rome-born coach will be cheering for Jose Mourinho’s men in the decider clash and had a few words to share regarding his allegiances in an exclusive interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport (via TheMirror).
“The relationship with Leicester was a purely professional, but supporting Roma takes me back to being a child. I can’t betray them and that feeling,” he said.
He then recalled his early days when he was still a young Giallorossi fan.
“I will go to the stadium. And I will remember the times I used to go to the Curva. Do you know how old I was when I went on my first away trip? I was 12 or 13. I went to Florence with a cousin on a fan bus which left from Flaminio.”
Ranieri backed Mourinho to upset his former English employer with a win.
He said: “I would say they have a 55 per cent chance because this time there will be the Stadio Olimpico effect,” continuing: “I don’t believe there is a chance of getting carried away. There is Mourinho on the bench, who I thank for the nice words he said about me before the first leg. Jose has already said it: ‘The fans have to use their hearts, us our heads’. He is right. However, Leicester are not as good playing away from home. If their season is not as good as they expected, it is because of what they have done away from home.”
The other semi-final sees Feyenoord travel to Marseille with a one-goal lead after a 3-2 victory in The Netherlands. The final will take place in Tirana, Albania on May 26.