Buffon congratulates Ranieri on return to European competition

Italian football icon Gianluigi Buffon has congratulated his former coach Claudio Ranieri, whose low-key side Leicester City recently ensured their qualification for the European Champions League.

Unfancied English Premier League front-runners Leicester collected 72 points in total from 33 points, post their 2-0 win away over Sunderland on Sunday.

Leicester, whose previous best performance in the English top-flight competition was a runners-up finish in the 1929-30 season, have never played for Europe's premier competition. They lastly played in Europea's second tier competition, the Uefa Cup as it was called then, in the 2000-01 season.

"Once upon a time there was a fairy tale that his name was ?#?Leicester?. Today there is a reality that the fight for ?#?premierleague?. Meanwhile, welcome in Europe Mr. Claudio Ranieri!," Buffon wrote on Facebook on Monday.

Roman Ranieri coached Buffon at Juventus between 2007 to 2009. Buffon captains the Juventus side who are bidding for their fifth consecutive Serie A title this season.

The last coached side by Ranieri that played in Europe's premier tournament was Inter Milan in the 2011-12 season.

Leicester are currently leading the EPL by seven points and are heavy favourites to win the title.