Claudio Ranieri has offered a passionate defence of his former Leicester City players, denying they forced him out.

Ranieri was sacked in February, less than a year after transforming a team of 5,000-1 outsiders into Premier League champions and, following his exit, rumours of a dressing-room mutiny were rife. However, while speaking to Sky Sports during the Monday Night Football show, the Italian refused to blame the players but did admit they were difficult to motivate following their title glory.

“I don’t believe rumours the players spoke to the Leicester owners about sacking me. I can’t believe the players killed me. No, no, no,” Ranieri, 65, said.

“It wasn’t easy. I knew that the year after winning the title would be different. The players had to reset their minds – this wasn’t a team used to fighting at the top. We were a little team.

“We had to stay calm. The players got to experience something totally different. In pre-season they played against big teams, went all over the world.”

Ranieri did, however, hint at people behind the scenes had worked against him before his sacking. “Maybe it was someone behind me. I had a little problem the year before and we won the title. Maybe this year, when we lose, these people push a little more.”

When pressed on who those people were, Ranieri said: “I am a serious man, a loyal man. What I have to say, I say face-to-face.”

Leicester have improved since Ranieri’s departure and the Italian believes it was the Champions League last‑16 first-leg tie with Sevilla – while he was still in charge – that sowed the seeds of recovery.

He said: “I think the turning point was the Sevilla match. I saw the players in the second half fighting together, working together.” Ranieri was sacked the day after Leicester’s 2-1 defeat against Sevilla but it was a tie they eventually went on to win. “I found out on the way home that I would be sacked. It was a shock for me and for a lot of other people.”

Ranieri’s replacement Craig Shakespeare will lead Leicester against Atlético Madrid at the Vicente Calderón, in the first leg of their quarter-final on Wednesday and the former Chelsea manager says the club will always be special to him.

“Leicester will be in my heart for all of my life because I won something in Europe, but never the title. Three times I was runner-up.

“This time, with Leicester we won the title and the fans, with me, in my heart. I want to thank all the fans.”