Leicester City and Roma fans united on Thursday night during their Europa Conference League semi-final to pay tribute to Claudio Ranieri.
Former Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham scored early in the first half to earn Roma a 1-0 win on the night at the Stadio Olimpico and a 2-1 victory on aggregate, sending the Giallorossi into the first ever final of the competition later this month against Dutch outfit Feyenoord.
During the second half of the tie in Rome, there was a special moment where both sets of fans in the ground united to pay tribute to a former manager who has previously taken charge of both clubs. Rome-born Ranieri was the mastermind behind Leicester's unlikely, yet miraculous 2015-16 Premier League title win. and also managed Roma between 2009 and 2011 and again in 2019.
In the second half of the tie in Rome, the cameras panned on to Ranieri, who was sat in the stands to watch his two former sides, showing him on the big screen. This led to both sets of fans applauding and cheering in tribute of the manager best known as ‘the tinkerman’ when managing Chelsea in the early 2000s.
Ranieri stood up and showed his appreciation he received from both sets of supporters at his former home ground, with the 70-year-old getting emotional. Showing his support on Twitter after the result was former Leicester and England striker and Foxes fan Gary Lineker, who was at the game with his four sons. He tweeted: “Was a beautiful moment,” followed by an emoji of praying hands.
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Leicester’s defeat in Rome denied them a chance of reaching the final. The Foxes can mathematically still qualify for the Conference League next season, but they are 11th in the table and 10 points off West Ham United in seventh, with only 15 points still to play for.
The Foxes’ last five games start with a home meeting with Everton on Sunday before hosting already relegated Norwich City three days later. After that, it is a trip to Watford four days before a meeting with current Champions League holders Chelsea at Stamford Bridge and a last day showdown with Southampton.
