Roberto Mancini insists he has not held talks with anyone at Leicester City regarding the possibility of succeeding Claudio Ranieri.
Despite leading Leicester to a scarcely believable Premier League title in May, Ranieri was sacked on Thursday with the club a point and a place above the relegation zone.
Mancini, who has been out of work since his second spell at Inter came to an end ahead of this season, had a brief stint on loan at the Foxes as a player in 2001 and has been installed as the early favourite to replace his compatriot.
Mancini said Ranieri will be remembered for "2,000 years" for his remarkable achievement and, amid reports he has turned down the chance to take over at the King Power Stadium, denied having any contact with the club.
I am sorry for my friend . He will remain in the history of , in the heart of fans and all football lovers.February 24, 2017
"I have not talked to anyone from Leicester, so that is not true," he told Radio Deejay.
"The team is having trouble, but what Ranieri did last season was incredible. He could've taken them to Premier League safety this season too.
"I'm afraid in England the clubs are picking up some of our bad Italian habits.
"Last year was the miracle, this term things just seem to be going wrong for Leicester. They also lost a fundamental player like N'Golo Kante.
"I don't believe the players were actively working against him, as I've never seen any player do that."
