Leicester’s Thai owners fall into ‘ingratitude’ trap

Head rules the heart – “Cruel”, “Shocking” and “Bizarre Timing” are among media reactions to the decision by the Thai owners of Leicester City Football Club (LCFC) to sack its manager, Claudio Ranieri. All of these reflected what most people felt when they heard the news. Of course, everyone knew that the club was precariously lingering just above the relegation zone, with the possibility of being demoted from the English Premier League increasingly and scarily real, but his situation is not the only story of this disastrous season. His story is a lot more, and the Thai owners of all people should have known it.
The Thai executives have become controversial figures – to say the least – in the football world after Leicester’s miracles last season lifted their status, making them owners of one of Europe’s most-loved football clubs. Having reaped the fruits of glory, whose seeds Ranieri helped sow, it’s no surprise that the Thais are being targeted for heavy criticism. One word that has not been seen in critical commentaries, though, is “ingratitude”.
“The tinker man” was what people called Ranieri before his time at Leicester. The struggling club was generally said to be little more than his pre-retirement sanctuary, but the “has-been” became part of one of the biggest miracles in the world of sport. And at Leicester, he did not do much “tinkering”, with his team of “average” players playing with determination and a crisp counter-attacking style. The team rounded up the 2015-16 season being crowned Premier League champions, creating one of the code’s most glorious fairytales in the process.
For what he did and achieved, Ranieri should have been given this whole season at least. All the logic and human factors cry out for him to remain and lead the team during this difficult time. Leicester have not played with the confidence and fearlessness of last season, but everyone, not just Ranieri, should share the blame.
The decision to sell influential midfielder N’Golo Kante to current Premier League leaders Chelsea has proven to be very costly, but most people familiar with football find it hard just to blame Ranieri. Most coaches will want to keep their prized assets, and it’s usually up to club owners who have to resist, or yield to, the temptation to sell a player.
Everybody knows that while winning the Premier League title is hard, keeping it is a lot harder. Certainly, Ranieri was not expected to pull off another miracle and he was obviously fired because the team are in real danger of being relegated. But his downfall is still difficult to comprehend. And who is more qualified to lead the club’s rearguard battle than the man who led the team’s heroic charge to the title last season? 
Only a few days ago, the Thai owners had given Ranieri an assurance that they still trusted him, which made the decision to sack the coach all the more shocking. Pundits ridiculing the Thais can be forgiven for picking on things like their obsession with superstition, which looked like a marvellous side-story when the Foxes were winning games in dramatic, unexpected fashion last season.
Football has seen successful coaches sacked, but it usually happens at big and mega-rich clubs. The Thai executives should have at least shown Ranieri their gratitude for something that all other small clubs could only dream of. It was because of him that they managed to lead a trophy parade in front of the whole world.
Ingratitude has been common in football. Worse cases may pop up some day, but the Thai owners of Leicester had better pray that people who refuse to let their heads rule their hearts forget about Ranieri soon.