emotional Claudio Ranieri Thousands of people serine AS Roma And Leicester City The supporters of Stadio Olimpico who gave a wonderful tribute to one of the good guys in football.
Despite all odds, the likable Italian player is known for lifting the Premier League title with the Fox in a dreamy 2015/16 campaign. Here, Jamie Vardy, Riyad Mahrez and N’Golo Kante helped the club achieve what many thought impossible.
Three years later, Ranieri, who was sacked from Leicester in 2017 after a disappointing second season at King Power, will return to AS Roma, the team he managed eight years earlier.
The bond between the two clubs is strong for Ranieri, who made six appearances for Roma in the 1973/74 season.
And as the two former teams watched from the crowd on Thursday night, a live feed of Ranieri’s Europa Conference League semi-final match popped up on the stadium’s big screen.
Moments later, thousands of home and away fans stood up and applauded the 70-year-old. He was noticeably impressed with the reception he received at 52 minutes. You can see that beautiful moment below.
How lovely is this! 🥰
Roma and Leicester fan serinades Claudio Ranieri are watching his two former appearances 🙌
Awesome Reception of Legends of the Game 👏#UECL pic.twitter.com/akIZnb7SGj
— Football on BT Sports (@btsportfootball) May 5, 2022
Ahead of this week’s semi-final second leg, childhood Roma fan Ranieri says Jose Mourinho’s “spiritual power” will make the difference when he matches his Premier League outfit.
“I have a strong professional bond with Leicester,” Ranieri told La Gazzetta dello Sport. “But my belief in football has something to do with my childhood, so I can’t betray it.
“I was 12 or 13 when I saw Roma’s first away game at the stadium. I took the bus and went to Florence with my cousin.”
You could argue that Ranieri was right. Mourinho’s team won 2-1 on aggregate with a header from Tammy Abraham in the first half, while La Lupa advances to the final, where they will face Dutch team Feyenoord.
Tammy Abraham! It’s header! 🤩
Lorenzo Pellegrini’s fantastic corner kick and Roma’s number nine fight fiercely 💥
An amazing start at Olympico! 🙌#UECL pic.twitter.com/HkXukUDGNe
— Football on BT Sports (@btsportfootball) May 5, 2022
Mourinho, meanwhile, was in tears when the full-time whistle blew on Thursday night.
Fans of the many wins might have been forgiven for thinking that the ‘Special One’ wasn’t interested in the tournament, but he was noticeably emotional on the touchline as his players celebrated the win on the pitch.
This guy loves games.
Jose Mourinho weeps after reaching the conference finals. It may not be the biggest finale of his career, but the man shows how much he loves the game with this match. Imagine that you do not love this man. pic.twitter.com/ZNXoAGqzOq
— Jab Salazar (@XavsFutbol) May 5, 2022
It was an emotional evening for many legends in the game.
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