Ranieri Given Honorary Degree After Premier League Feat

- Claudio Ranieri was awarded with an honorary Doctor of Arts Degree by De Montfort University on Wednesday afternoon

DMU Vice-Chancellor Professor Dominic Shellard branded the Club's achievement as a "thrilling feat" at the ceremony

The enigmatic Foxes boss was the mastermind behind the Club’s first top-flight title in 132 years of history, considered among the greatest sporting achievements of all time, and has subsequently received a horde of personal accolades in the months that have followed the trophy lift in May. 

Having been named the FIFA Best Men’s Coach of the Year, Ranieri has also been rewarded with the LMA Manager of the Year and BBC Sports Personality of the Year Coach Award following the remarkable events of the 2015/16 campaign under his management.

Ranieri has since guided the Foxes to the round of 16 in the UEFA Champions League on their maiden season in European football's platinum club competition where they will face UEFA Europa League holders FC Sevilla over two legs in the coming months.

At the degree awards ceremony at De Montfort University in Leicester on Wednesday, the newly conferred Dr Ranieri said: “I told the players we needed to achieve 40 points, when they achieved 40 points, I told them the next target was the Europa League. 

“When they achieved that target, I said okay, bring me now the Champions League. When they achieved this, I said go straight for the title.” 

Vice-Chancellor Professor Dominic Shellard, meanwhile, told the assembled graduands: “Leicester City’s achievement last year was a thrilling feat that captured the hearts and minds of football fans worldwide, and of everyone with a love of adventure and a sense of the unlikely. 

“Long before he won the title, Claudio Ranieri won the admiration and respect of our home city, and all of us at DMU. We are delighted to honour him today for his footballing achievements, for what he has done for our city of Leicester and for his personal qualities which represent all that is best in sport.”