Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho pays his own tribute to Claudio Ranieri after he was sacked as manager of Leicester Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho pays his own tribute to Claudio Ranieri after he was sacked as manager of Leicester

Jose Mourinho says his sacking by Chelsea was "peanuts" compared to Claudio Ranieri's dismissal by Leicester.

Ranieri was sacked on Thursday evening, 298 days after guiding Leicester to an astonishing Premier League title.

Mourinho - who wore a training top with the letters 'CR' on it at his pre-EFL Cup final press conference on Friday - was sacked by Chelsea in December 2015, seven months after he won the title. But the Manchester United boss says Ranieri's departure is far more of a shock than his own exit.

"I thought last season, when I was sacked as a champion, I thought it was a giant, negative thing," he said. "Now I realise that was peanuts compared with what happened to Claudio."

Ranieri with club owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha (C) and the Premier League trophy

"My words are my shirt - with his name. My little homage to somebody who wrote the most beautiful history in the Premier League.

"[He is] somebody that probably deserves to have the Leicester stadium named 'The Claudio Ranieri [Stadium].' And he's sacked.

"Leicester made history two years in a row. One year, because he did the most beautiful thing - one of the most beautiful histories in football history. And now, a decision that has almost everyone in football united, because it is very, very difficult to accept."

Ranieri was named FIFA Coach of the Year for 2016

Mourinho says the fate of Ranieri is a lesson for all in the increasingly insecure world of football management.

On Friday morning Mourinho had posted on Instagram: "Champion of England and FIFA manager of the year sacked. That's the new football Claudio. Keep smiling."

And he told the assembled media: "Sometimes it is good for all of us to realise how football is. We need to adapt to it. My Instagram was a little homage. My shirt is another one. I don't think he needs more homages. Nobody can delete what he did."

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