Ranieri: Fans Proud Of Fighting Foxes

- Claudio Ranieri says Leicester supporters are already proud of their brave team this season
- Leicester are two points clear at the top of the Premier League with 12 games to go
- City boss says his side are building to be competitive in the long term
- Foxes set for 12 difficult matches during the run-in
It may be a long-term project for Claudio Ranieri, but the Leicester City manager feels his fearless side are already making our supporters proud.
The Foxes have caught the imagination of world football this term, upsetting the established Barclays Premier League order with a bold, vivacious style of play that has made them a pleasure to watch all season.
With 12 games of the campaign remaining, Ranieri’s side remain the unlikely Premier League leaders, two points ahead of Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal approaching the season’s final straight.
Ranieri remains pragmatic about his side’s prospects this term, with one eye on his squad’s long-term development, but takes great pleasure in the feel-good factor spreading through the Blue Army.
“I think our fans are proud of us because we are doing something special and I want my players to continue in this way – to fight,” Ranieri said.
“Our fans are dreaming, but we don’t think about the title, we think about our performance.
“We’re not the best team in the Premier League, because there are so many good teams. Arsenal are one of these, they have so many good players, they can score in any moment and they have to win the league.
“We have to enjoy. We have to build our team for the next season and the next season, but this is our foundation. We start now.
“I have a dream, but I don’t tell you what the dream is!”
Ranieri’s realism is understandable. In a season where a side that were favourites for relegation at the start can be top of the pile in mid-February, no game can be taken as a banker.
So when Leicester’s lack of current top-four opponents in their final 12 games is said to turn the odds in the Foxes’ favour, the Italian wears the smile of a man whose side have been upsetting the odds all season.
“Every match is difficult,” he says simply.
“It’s difficult to play against us, but it’s also difficult to play against Norwich in the next match and the next match after that.
“We want to continue, to fight until the end.”