Ranieri: Pizza is good for the muscles

Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri has been highlighting the health benefits of pizza after delivering on his promise to treat his players to the Italian dish.

Ranieri had vowed to get the pizzas in as soon as Leicester registered their first clean sheet of the season – a feat they managed in a 1-0 Premier League win over Crystal Palace on Saturday.

The result ended a run of 11 consecutive matches in which the Foxes had conceded this season and Ranieri was happy to make good on his pledge.

“Champagne and pizza is good, not fantastic, but it’s OK,” Ranieri is quoted as saying by The Telegraph.

“We have a training session and I ask them when they want to eat pizza. It’s carbohydrate, good for the muscles. I’m very happy, very glad.

“We showed our character, our fitness, everything.”

The only goal of Saturday’s game was scored by Jamie Vardy, on target for the seventh consecutive Premier League fixture, but Ranieri does not believe such a run will cause the England international to become overconfident.

“I think he’s a nice boy. I tell him, every time you play for the team, continue to fight, continue to press, continue to run,” he added.

“The goals you can score or not score, the performance must be good.

“Jamie is a free spirit; it is difficult to put something in his mind.”