Claudio Ranieri: Leicester City "deserve to be champions"

Claudio Ranieri celebrates at the end of the Premier League game between Watford and Leicester City on March 5, 2016
© Getty Images
Leicester City boss Claudio Ranieri insists that his players are worthy winners of the Premier League title.

Claudio Ranieri has heaped praise on his Leicester City players after they secured a first English top-flight title in the club's history last night.

The Foxes were confirmed as champions without kicking a ball thanks to Tottenham Hotspur's 2-2 draw away at Chelsea.

Ranieri's men were a 5,000-1 shot with most bookmakers to clinch top spot at the start of the season, but they have defied the odds to record an unexpected triumph.

"I'm so proud. I'm happy for my players, for the chairman, for the staff at Leicester City, all our fans and the Leicester community. It's an amazing feeling and I'm so happy for everyone," he told reporters.

"I never expected this when I arrived. I'm a pragmatic man, I just wanted to win match after match and help my players to improve week after week. Never did I think too much about where it would take us.

"The players have been fantastic. Their focus, their determination, their spirit has made this possible. Every game they fight for each other and I love to see this in my players. They deserve to be champions."

It is the first major league title that Ranieri has won in his 30-year managerial career.

Marc Albrighton in action during the Barclays Premier League match between Leicester City and Sunderland at The King Power Stadium on August 8, 2015
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TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
CLeicester CityLeicester372311367353280
2Tottenham HotspurSpurs371913568303870
3Arsenal371911761362568
4Manchester CityMan City371981070403065
5Manchester UnitedMan Utd36189944311363
6Southampton371791155401560
7West Ham UnitedWest Ham361514761471459
8Liverpool3616101061481358
9Chelsea361212125751648
10Stoke CityStoke37139153954-1548
11Swansea CitySwansea371210154151-1046
12Everton361014125652444
13Watford36128163644-844
14Crystal Palace37119173847-942
15West Bromwich AlbionWest Brom371012153347-1442
16Bournemouth37119174464-2042
17Sunderland36811174360-1735
18Newcastle UnitedNewcastle37810193964-2534
19Norwich CityNorwich3687213562-2731
RAston Villa3738262772-4517