Ranieri and Shevchenko laugh off Chelsea job talk

Claudio Ranieri and Andriy Shevchenko have both laughed off the prospect of becoming Chelsea’s next manager following Jose Mourinho’s departure.

Mourinho was axed at Stamford Bridge on Thursday following a disastrous run of nine defeats from 16 Premier League games to open the season after winning last year’s title.

Ranieri, currently in charge of leaders Leicester City, insisted any reports linking him with a return to his former club – who Leicester beat 2-1 on Monday – were pure speculation.

“I think only about Leicester now,” he said. “That is speculation. I am an old man and I have  read a lot of speculation.

“But of course it’s much better this kind of speculation than Greece speculation of course.”

Former Chelsea striker Shevchenko, meanwhile, suggested he was not yet ready to begin a career in management.

Speaking at the Kuwait Champions Challenge, the 39-year-old laughed when asked if he wanted to manage the Blues and said: “Listen, I won’t start my career for another year yet. When I have started, it will probably be the right question for me.

“Right now, I’m still thinking about by career as in management like as a sporting director or working in administration of a club. Maybe I will soon start my own career as a manager.”