Leicester City sack PL title-winning manager Claudio Ranieri

Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri has been sacked from his position, only nine months after leading the club to their maiden Premier League title in their 132-year history.

The 65-year-old's axing came barely two weeks after Leicester offered him their "unwavering support", stating that there was no way that the Italian manager is going to lose his job while adding that the club's success had been entirely based on stability, togetherness and determination to overcome even the greatest of challenges.

Announcing the decision to sack Ranieri, Leicester said that although the former is without a doubt the most successful Leicester City manager of all time, the recent fall in the domestic results have forced them to take the decision.

"His status as the most successful Leicester City manager of all time is without question. However, domestic results have placed the club's Premier League status under threat and the board reluctantly feels a change of leadership, while admittedly painful, is necessary in the club's greatest interest," Leicester said in their statement to announce the decision.

The team's dip in form this season has left them in danger of being the first English side since Manchester City in 1938 to be relegated the year after winning the league title, the Guardian reported.

The reigning Premier League champions are yet to score a league goal since their turn of the year and have picked up only one point from their last six league matches they have played so far, thus leaving them only a point above the bottom three

The Italian manager, who was also named FIFA's coach of the year for guiding the side to league glory, was informed of his axing on his return from the club's 1-2 defeat against Sevilla in the first leg of the Champions League last-16 tie in Spain.

Roberto Mancini, who had a brief spell on loan at Leicester in 2001, is the early favourite to replace Ranieri.