Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri said
Friday in accepting Italy's Bearzot Prize that he was proud to
be compared to the Azzurri's 1982 World Cup-winning coach.
"I never met Bearzot but if they say that they see
Bearzot's spirit in me that makes me feel proud," said Ranieri,
who led the 5,000-to-1 outsiders to the most improbable
top-flight triumph in history.
"Honestly I still don't understand the feat we achieved. I
can thank everyone, the jury that voted for me, and my players.
We started out to avoid relegation and then it all
happened...it's not easy to win a league championship in England
but I won my first scudetto (promotion to Serie A) at Cagliari
and I don't forget that".
Ranieri said he would devolve the money from the prize -
awarded by the Association of Italian Christian Workers (ACLI)
and by the Italian Soccer Federation (FIGC) - to the Stefano
Borgonovo foundation for studying ALS or Lou Gehrig's Disease,
which has hit a disproportionately high number of soccer
players.
Presenting Ranieri with the prize, FIGC Chairman Carlo
Tavecchio said he "hoped Ranieri will win the World Cup as
coach" but said he realised that it was not "easy to forget
Leicester's chances of further success".
Italy coach Antonio Conte is stepping down after Euro 2016.
So far Ranieri's name has not been on the list of possible
successors, which is topped by Sampdoria coach Vincenzo
Montella.
Ranieri on Monday also got the Palma d'Oro (Golden Palm)
from the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) as best coach of the
year.
CONI chief Giovanni Malagò said Ranieri had "proven dreams
can come true" and thanked the Leicester coach "on behalf of all
Italian sport.
Luca de Montezemolo, the head of Rome's bid to host the
2024 Olympics, said he wanted to "enroll Ranieri as an Italian
winner.
"He's a Roman and a great sportsman," said Montezemolo.
Former Azzurri coach and Italy great Dino Zoff, captain of
Bearzot's World Cup-winning team, said "Ranieri's win was
exceptional".
Zoff, who coached his former team Juventus as well as
Lazio, said "a fairy-tale like Leicester's would be more
difficult in Italy".
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