‘Bookmakers were offering 5,000-1 on us winning the title, and considered it more likely the Loch Ness Monster would appear or that Bono would be elected Pope’ Claudio Ranieri on how Leicester City achieved the impossible

When Claudio Ranieri took over a Leicester City side that had just finished 14th in the Premier League in July 2015, most expected the Italian to be overseeing another battle against the drop.

This included the bookmakers, who grouped the Foxes in with the longest of longshots when it came to challenging for the title. What happened over the next nine months was one of football’s greatest fairytales.

But for Ranieri, the foundations of Leicester’s miracle season were laid before he arrived in the East Midlands.

Ranieri on Leicester’s miracle triumph

“I went there with real determination,” the Italian tells FourFourTwo. “From the very beginning, the chairman asked me to reach 40 points, and I kept hammering that message home all the way through the season.

“That was the target. Well, at least until a certain stage, then I had to adjust my aim slightly!”

Ranieri admits that his appointment was not universally approved, following his short-lived stint as Greece boss.

“At the start there was scepticism about me,” he continues. “Apparently the bookmakers were offering 5,000-1 on us winning the title and considered it more likely that aliens would land, the Loch Ness Monster would appear, that Elvis Presley was still alive, or that Bono would be elected as Pope. I know this because somebody told me – I don’t read newspapers, so I didn’t even realise.

“I was welcomed in a truly wonderful way. The scepticism of a few people didn’t bother me – I didn’t even know about it. All I know is that when I saw the boys in training, I was astonished. I could see incredible determination in the way they worked.”

This came courtesy of Ranieri’s predecessor Nigel Pearson, who had masterminded a successful battle against the drop.

“The miraculous relegation survival at the end of the previous season gave them confidence, and the work done by my predecessor Nigel Pearson had been excellent,” Ranieri adds.

“The lads were in great physical shape. I was very impressed and understood that, by changing only a few things, we could do well. Of course, never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that we could win the league.

“I watched several matches and led the first training sessions. I immediately realised that Riyad Mahrez starting from the right and cutting inside on to his left foot could be extremely dangerous. On the opposite flank I put Marc Albrighton, who usually played on the right and delivered plenty of crosses, but from the left he too could cut inside and shoot.

“Danny Drinkwater and Andy King were the two players who provided solidity in midfield. I gradually placed Danny Simpson at right-back, and Christian Fuchs at left-back – he was truly ready only after our first defeat, at home to Arsenal in September.

"Yes, I made some adjustments, but the decisive move was placing N’Golo Kante in midfield alongside Drinkwater. That boy was extraordinary. With him, it felt as though we were playing with 12 men. Once, I said I wouldn’t have been surprised to see him cross the ball, then head it in himself. He was incredible."