The Cynical Game

Less than a year after taking 5000-1 rank outsiders Leicester City to the peak of the domestic game, manager Claudio Ranieri has been sacked. True, this season isn't exactly going well - the club are in the midst of a relegation battle - but to sack the man that delivered the unthinkable only 298 days ago is a very cynical move.

As the infographic below shows, Ranieri has joined José Mourinho and Roberto Mancini as managers who have been sacked within a year (Mancini exactly one year) of winning the Premier League title. Management at this level has long been a cut throat business, with managers being sacked on an alarmingly regular basis. On this occasion though, the decision has drawn particular ire from pundits and fans alike. Ex-England and Leicester player turned TV presenter Gary Lineker reacted with an already much-quoted tweet, stating that "After all that Claudio Ranieri has done for Leicester City, to sack him now is inexplicable, unforgivable and gut-wrenchingly sad."