Claudio Ranieri finally broke his silence on Monday night regarding his controversial sacking at Leicester City by suggesting he had been betrayed by “someone behind me” and denying that the players ousted him at the King Power Stadium.

Ranieri’s dismissal as Leicester manager in February, only 298 days after he led the club to the Premier League title in arguably the greatest shock in English football history, attracted widespread outrage at the time.

The Italian has kept a dignified silence since then but, speaking candidly for the first time about his departure, he refused to blame the Leicester players for his sacking and instead pointed the finger elsewhere, adding that he may confront the perceived back-stabber in person.

“I listened to a lot of stories about this,” Ranieri told Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football programme with pundit Jamie Carragher and presenter David Jones.

“Maybe it could be somebody behind me, but also the little problem I had the year before and we won the title. Maybe these people, this year, when we lose they push a little more. That’s it. I don’t want to tell. I am a serious man, a loyal man. What I have to say, I say face to face.”