London, May 5

Leicester City’s unexpected Premier League title triumph has helped Claudio Ranieri rediscover himself as a manager after his failed spell at AS Roma, the Italian’s mother, Renata Ranieri has said.

Ranieri spent 18 months at the Italian side but left in 2011 after he fell out with club officials. The 64-year-old then had unsuccessful spells at Inter Milan, French side Monaco and the Greek national team prior to joining Leicester in July.

Renata believes his success in England has allowed her son to finally put that disappointment behind him. “I have to admit, I did not expect him to win with Leicester. He found these players... they are good lads. He told me they always trained as real professionals,” Renata said in an interview with the Italian newspaper La Repubblica. “Naturally it wasn’t a big squad full of champions. I know that he’s happy in England, they always treated him perfectly. He rediscovered himself there,” she added.

“In my view, at Roma he was not treated with respect. In the family we are all Giallorossi fans. We were disappointed with the way things ended... Now he’s ‘King of England’, imagine that.”

Renata also said her son was careful to take care of his dietary needs in the weeks leading up to the East Midlands club winning their first English league title. “My son needs to stay fit, so he almost never opts for a ‘primo’ (the plate of pasta that traditionally kicks off an Italian meal),” the 96-year-old said. “Instead, he has green beans or a salad... Before leaving, he ate strawberries with lemon and sugar,” she added.

Leicester host 11th-placed Everton in the league at the King Power Stadium on Saturday, after which they will be presented with the Premier League trophy.