Share

Ranieri urges no Leicester let-up

London - Leicester City may be able to let their hair down now they have secured one of sport's most unlikely triumphs in winning the Premier League but manager Claudio Ranieri wants no let-up from his champions.

Fans at the King Power Stadium on Saturday will have Ranieri's fellow Italian Andrea Bocelli, one of the world's leading tenors, to serenade them before kick-off and after the match skipper Wes Morgan will collect the Premier League trophy - final proof that the 5,000/1 pre-season outsiders have indeed clinched the title.

But in between they face Everton, with the Merseyside club's manager Roberto Martinez desperate for a win that will help take the Toffees into the top half of the table and lessen the calls from angry fans demanding the Spaniard be replaced at Goodison Park.

"Inside me there are two people. One is a very aggressive, I want to win, I won the Premier League but now I want to win on Saturday," said Ranieri.

Martinez said he did not expect Leicester to ease up after several days of rejoicing that started when second-placed Tottenham's draw with Chelsea on Monday meant they could no longer catch the Foxes.

"I'm sure any sort of celebration could affect you in the long term if you had to face a difficult month. In a 90-minute game where the stadium is going to be an historic environment, I'm sure that can only be positive for the home team," Martinez said.

HUTH BAN

Leicester's Robert Huth will miss Saturday's game after admitting a Football Association charge of violent conduct for pulling the hair of Manchester United's Marouane Fellaini in a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford last weekend.

Fellaini, who reacted by striking Huth with an elbow, was also banned for three games and will miss United's end to the Premier League season, although the Belgian midfielder will be available for the FA Cup final against Crystal Palace.

Tottenham, who were last crowned champions of England back in 1961, will look to put the crushing disappointment of their draw at Stamford Bridge -- a match where a full-time melee could yet see the FA take disciplinary action -- behind them at home to manager Mauricio Pochettinho's former club Southampton.

Spurs are at least assured of a Champions League place, with two of their top four rivals going head-to-head when Manchester City face Arsenal on Sunday.

City will still be smarting from Wednesday's 1-0 defeat by Real Madrid in the semi-finals of the Champions League as manager Manuel Pellegrini's time at Eastlands -- he will be replaced by Bayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola next season -- draws to a close.

Manchester United travel to relegation-threatened Norwich in a must-win game for both sides.

United are four points off a top four place and manager Louis van Gaal is convinced a debilitating pre-Christmas injury list damaged their chances this term.

"I can only say that in the end of November we had first position, after that we had a big decline. These are the facts," van Gaal said. "Also the injuries are a fact."

Sunderland will continue their bid to climb out of the bottom three at home to Chelsea while Newcastle, just above the drop zone, travel to already relegated Aston Villa.

Palace, still not mathematically safe from relegation, face Stoke at Selhurst Park.

Liverpool, fresh from reaching the Europa League final after beating Villarreal at Anfield on Thursday, host Watford on Sunday.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
How much would you be prepared to pay for a ticket to watch the Springboks play against the All Blacks at Ellis Park or Cape Town Stadium this year?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
R0 - R200
33% - 1804 votes
R200 - R500
32% - 1767 votes
R500 - R800
19% - 1067 votes
R800 - R1500
8% - 451 votes
R1500 - R2500
3% - 184 votes
I'd pay anything! It's the Boks v All Blacks!
4% - 248 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE