"As a person – a complete disaster" – former Leicester striker reveals Claudio Ranieri's dark side

Former Leicester striker Leonardo Ulloa has broken his silence, opening up about his conflict with Claudio Ranieri and branding the Premier League-winning manager a "disaster" in personal dealings.

Details: Speaking on the Offsiders Podcast, the Argentine admitted that behind the historic title-winning facade lurked deception and manipulation, ultimately pushing the forward to stage a personal boycott against the manager right in the middle of the season.

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According to Ulloa, it all started after the title triumph, when he had two lucrative offers from Premier League clubs on the table. Ranieri personally convinced the forward to stay, promising more playing time and solemnly assuring him that the club would not sign any new strikers.

“As a coach – very good; as a person... A DISASTER. We were in Los Angeles, I had two offers from Premier League clubs that would have doubled my salary and given me a chance to play, and I wasn't playing, even though we had just won the title,” Ulloa said.

However, on the final day of the transfer window, the Foxes suddenly signed Islam Slimani for £30 million. When Ulloa asked for an explanation, Ranieri simply shrugged and shifted the blame onto the club's management.

"I quickly figured out his plan: he just wanted to keep me on the bench until mid-season, when Slimani and Mahrez would leave for the Africa Cup of Nations,” Ulloa stated.

Realizing he'd been used, the striker went into open conflict. He told Ranieri directly that he would not step onto the pitch under his management—neither now nor in December, when the manager would desperately need him. From that moment on, the forward essentially stopped training, turning up at the club merely to "go through the motions" and feign injury.

Despite his hardline stance, Ulloa emphasized that his protest was not aimed at his teammates or the club. Before starting his strike, he had an honest conversation with the team captains, explaining that his decision was solely a protest against Ranieri's duplicity.

Recall: Leicester were docked 6 points for a violation committed three years ago.