Claudio Ranieri ‘called and thanked us’ says Chelsea’s Guus Hiddink

'His voice was trembling a bit' Guus Hiddink said of his Leicester counterpart Claudio Ranieri on Tuesday night after a phone call between the two.

A Chelsea fan displays a banner in reference to Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri on Monday night. Dylan Martinez / Reuters / May 2, 2016

Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri called his Chelsea counterpart Guus Hiddink on Monday to thank him for the draw with Tottenham Hotspur that gave his team the Premier League title.

Spurs’ 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge brought Leicester the first title in their 132-year history and Ranieri, who was sacked by Chelsea in 2004, was quickly on the phone to express his gratitude.

“Just after the final whistle, I got a call from Ranieri,” Hiddink, Chelsea’s interim manager, told his post-match press conference.

“He called us and thanked us for what we did, especially in the second half. I congratulated him for being champion.

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“I think they deserve it. It might be not a surprise anymore, but maybe a shock for the established clubs that they did so well.

“They didn’t implode. There was no tension when they started smelling the title. That’s why I think they deserve the title.”

Asked if Ranieri, who cried on the pitch following Leicester’s recent 2-0 win at Sunderland, had sounded emotional, Hiddink replied: “Yeah. I didn’t see any tears because it was not a Facetime conversation.

“But his voice was trembling a bit. Five times, (he said) thanks. Because the emotion is going up.”

Ranieri, 64, was reported to have returned to England earlier on Monday after making a quick trip to Italy in order to have lunch with his 96-year-old mother, Renata.

The genial Italian will get his hands on the first top-flight title of his 30-year managerial career on Saturday after Leicester’s final home game against Everton.

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