### <center> *To say Claudio Ranieri's fall from grace has been meteoric is an understatement...*</center>


<center>![_94826300_claudio_ranieri_reuters.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmeFtARf2aPbdcpSCmE46RyPsF4uShD6geWuuyfMkE2waJ/_94826300_claudio_ranieri_reuters.jpg)</center>


# <center> The Rocky Start...</center>

Raniera's appointment was criticised when he joined the club in the Summer of 2015. In September 2015, Ranieri's Leicester City were the favourites to be relegated from the Premier League and 5000/1 outsiders to win the League. The "Tinkerman" was one of the favourites to be the first manager sacked that season. 


# <center> Floating on cloud nine...</center>

By May 2016, he had achieved the impossible dream. Leicester City against all rhyme and reason had become Premier League Champions. Undoubtedly one of the greatest achievements in modern football.


# <center> Crashing down to earth</center>

In February 2017, Ranieri was unceremonious sacked. With Leicester City languishing fourth from bottom in the League, one point outside the relegation zone. 


# <center> Past-time Paradise...</center>

Ironically, if you erase the wonders of last season Leicester City are roughly where you'd expect them to be. However with great success comes great expectations.  With a 1-0 victory at home against Seville next month, Leicester will be be in the last 8 of the Champions League. A result that will likely see them do better than Barcelona and Arsenal in Europe's elite competition.

For Leicester to reach the latter stages of the Champions League and survive in the Premier League will be a stellar season.  You would have thought that winning the EPL in his first season with the rank outsiders, would have afforded Ranieri the opportunity to try and do that.

You would have been wrong. The prospect of relegation has given Leicester City owners cold feet. Ranieri  has been dumped in what should have been his honeymoon season.

# <center> Dream on dreamer...</center>

Claudio Ranieri said his dream had died,

> "After the euphoria of last season and being crowned champions, all I dreamt of was staying with Leicester. Sadly this was not to be,"

In some way that dreamer in all of us died. Ranieri and Leicester City was like the most unlikely of love affairs. With everyone in football there to witness their whirlwind romance. In some ways a 'happily ever after' where the Italian and the Midlands club swan off to a life of EPL mid-table mediocrity would have been a fitting ending.

Instead we're all forced back into the reality of a cut-throat world that has little truck for sentimentality. 

# <center>Que Sera Sera..</center>

Maybe it's better this way. Leicester fans can blame the owners and resign themselves to the tales of *what could have been* "if they had just keep Kante" or if they had "just stuck it out with Ranieri for a few more months..." The magic of Ranieri's Leicester of 2015/16 will endure.

There may be a blessing in parting ways so soon. Afterall Arsene Wenger's "Invincibles" of 2003/04 must seem like a distant memory for those that feel that the Frenchmen has overstayed his welcome at Arsenal.

### <center>*Sometimes holiday romances are the sweetest...*</center>