Going easy on the pasta was one of the secrets of Claudio Ranieri’s success as Leicester City’s manager, his 96-year-old mother has revealed.

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Like any good Italian “mamma”, Renata Ranieri said she was careful to take care of her son’s dietary needs in the weeks leading up to his historic achievement in winning the Premier League title for the East Midlands club.

“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 pensioner told La Repubblica newspaper. “Instead he has green beans or a salad.”