Claudio Ranieri warns his Leicester title winners that he will BIN them if they do not perform
Nine Foxes heroes have signed bumper £100k-a-week deals this summer but boss insists nobody is safe from the axe
CLAUDIO RANIERI has warned his Leicester title winners he is ready to BIN them if he suspects they think they have made it.
Nine of his squad have been rewarded with bumper £100,000-per-week long-term contracts since the end of last season.
And every first-team player was presented with a swanky £105,000 BMWi8 super sports car by the club’s Thai owners for their efforts.
There is a feeling among many Foxes fans that last season’s incredible title triumph was a one-off and a good run in the Champions League would compensate for dropping back into the pack.
However, Foxes boss Ranieri, who spent £70million this summer, heads to new-look Anfield today, warning his squad he is ready to axe any of them if they do not perform.
The Italian rapped: “Everybody has renewed their contracts and we have broken our transfer record again. But this is football at the highest level. There is not a hierarchy here.
“They all know they can play — or they can be left out. It’s not a case that somebody who played last season is sure to play this season.
“I watch every training session and I watch every match. If I see someone is doing better then I’ll change things. NOBODY is sure of their shirt.
“They have to perform to the highest level and if I see them drop below that I have the players to replace them.
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“That is important. I want competition so there is a big fight in the dressing room. It’s better for me because then only the strongest survive.”
Riyad Mahrez picked up the Player of the Year award, keeper Kasper Schmeichel was outstanding, while Jamie Vardy’s 24 helped goals fired Leicester to the title by a whopping ten points.
But Ranieri insists that will count for nothing against Liverpool, who he says are title contenders.
He added: “My first XI did not win the title. All the players won the title, all of them are champions.
“I don’t see a difference between someone who played 38 games and someone who played only one.
“We play Club Brugge in the Champions League next week but I am only thinking about Liverpool.
“The massive competition for me is the Premier League — it’s bigger than the Champions League.
“The Champions League is just a gift for me, for the players and the fans.
“We are focused on the Premier League because we want to defend our title and Liverpool are one of the favourites to stop us.
“We are the champions and it’s normal everyone wants to beat us.
“It’s their first home game. But we have to take the next step and say ‘we are champions, if you want to beat us, try, fight and we will see’!”