Leicester Boss Claudio Ranieri to be Knighted in Italy

Leicester Boss Claudio Ranieri to be Knighted in Italy

There seems to be no end to the acclaim rolling in for Claudio Ranieri, after the Italian tactician masterminded an extraordinary Premier League title triumph with Leicester City.

Ranieri, 64, has been named manager of the year following the Foxes’ 5000-1 title coup, and now the former Chelsea boss is set to be honoured further with a knighthood in his home country, Bleacher Report writes.

The Foxes ride high. Image: Mirror

This comes after Italy’s Prime Minister Matteo Renzi called for Ranieri to be bestowed with the title of Grande Ufficiale dell’Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana, the third highest rank that can be awarded to an Italian knight.

He will be awarded with the title by President Sergio Mattarella. Granting him a higher ranking than that bestowed on Italy’s 1982 and 2006 World Cup winners, and putting him at par with former U.S. President John F. Kennedy, and opera singers Luciano Pavarotti and Andrea Bocelli—the latter of whom joined the Foxes at the King Power Stadium before Leicester’s drubbing of Everton in their final home game of the season.