Claudio Ranieri sacking re-iterates there is no sentiment left in Football.

When I heard the news that Claudio Ranieri was sacked as Leicester manager this week my immediate thought was not for the man that took Leicester to the Premier League title a year ago but of the state of the modern game now.

Described as a “miracle” last year, Claudio Ranieri demonstrated that with the right attitude, with hard work and with a tactical formation that suits the players who understand their roles, you can achieve success. We all watched from a distance as the season progressed last term (because let’s face it, Chelsea were awful) and admired everything to do with them. They had not spent a fortune on players but Ranieri had brought in players in key areas to strengthen the team and got the best out of them.

All of us were cheering them on to win it (with a little help from Chelsea against Tottenham) and when they did it was fantastic, a story that will live forever about how a team that had fought against relegation the season before had suddenly become champions.

Without question this season has been a disaster for Leicester as they sit one point above the relegation zone in seventeenth. As with Chelsea a year ago, something was wrong in the dressing room and the reports coming from the media are suggesting that the players had inexcusably lost confidence in the man they had stood next to and celebrated with last May. This was the man named as Coach of the Year beating some of the biggest names in the game to the award but the Premier League table does not lie and the decision was taken to sack the Tinkerman.

If anything Chelsea fans are familiar with these types of situations as we have seen over the years a number of managers being relieved of their duties. These decisions have been taken when it has looked like our participation in the following seasons Champions League looks like being under threat. At Leicester the decision has been taken by the owners as they look to ensure their participation in the Premier League next season.

The problem with the modern game is money and the riches on offer these days just for participating in the Premier League let alone finishing in the top half, European places or winning the league. The game has turned into a business with no more sentiment left in the game. For example, we will never ever see someone in charge of a club for as long as Arsene Wenger has been at Arsenal (20+ years). You have to wonder that if Wenger took over Arsenal now, if he would be afforded time to win trophies or not?

There is now a huge gap between the Premier League and the Championship with promotion, relegation and the play-off final demonstrating as such. Premier League clubs cannot afford to be relegated because of the amount of money they will miss out on and that’s despite the parachute payments they receive over the next three years.

Our game has turned into a results business now and you are no longer given time to sort things out as you try to build on the previous season. It’s all about delivering results now and this is demonstrated by the huge sums of money spent in each transfer window. Would you have ever thought that Bournemouth (no disrespect) would have been a position to offer Chelsea £18m for Nathan Ake last month ever?

These clubs come into the league and have little choice but to spend masses amounts of money to try and ensure their survival because they know how much money is on offer for finishing 17th or higher for example. In addition to that, the money they will then also receive ahead of the new season is now astonishing with the various TV companies ploughing ridiculous sums of money into our game which is watched all over the world. The Premier League is big, big sell and you simply have to be a part of it these days.

Claudio Ranieri will always hold a special place in our hearts because of the time he spent here and the foundations he had laid before he left. John Terry and Frank Lampard will openly admit and have thanked him for the chances they were given here.

Does Claudio Ranieri deserved to be sacked? No. Is it the right decision for the football club in order to try and secure their Premier League survival? Probably. It’s ridiculous to even contemplate really but it perfectly demonstrates the state of the modern game and the fact that there is no longer any sentiment left in Football.