Foxes’ mixed results anger Ranieri

Kayode Ogundele
Kayode Ogundele
Claudio Ranieri

Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri says he is “very, very angry” his team cannot replicate their Champions League form in the Premier League.

Riyad Mahrez’s goal secured a 1-0 win over FC Copenhagen on Tuesday to leave the Foxes one victory from qualifying for the Champions League last 16.

But the English champions, unbeaten in Europe with three wins in three, are 13th domestically after four losses.

Ranieri said it is a “psychological” problem and the league is his priority.

Leicester are only the fifth Champions League debutants – after AC Milan, Paris St-Germain, Juventus and Malaga – to win their opening three games.

“I’m very proud of the side from one side but from another, when I think of the Premier League, I am very, very angry,” said Ranieri, 64.

“In my career this has happened. When you are in the big competition for the first time you grow and then you lose something when you go back into your own competition.

“When you play in the Champions League you are switched on, very, very smart and focused on every situation. You use up a lot of mental energy in the Champions League.

“We want to change this though because the Premier League is our priority.”

Leicester have already lost more games in the Premier League this season than they did in their title campaign – and conceded 14 goals.

But in Europe, the Foxes have become only the third team to begin a Champions League campaign with three straight clean sheets, and they can secure a place in the last 16 with a win in Denmark on 2 November, having already guaranteed at least a Europa League spot.

“It is good to go into the Europa League but we are in the Champions League and we go step by step,” added Ranieri.

“We have to stay calm now and change our mentality in the Premier League because we have Crystal Palace coming up – a tough, tough match.”

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