JOSE MOURINHO HAS once again paid tribute to Claudio Ranieri, wearing a ‘CR’ initialed shirt during his press conference on Friday afternoon.

The Red Devils boss — who succeeded Ranieri at Chelsea in 2004 – had previously paid tribute to the Italian on Instagram, following his sacking by Leicester.

“CHAMPION OF ENGLAND and FIFA MANAGER of THE YEAR.sacked,” Mourinho wrote on Instagram. “That’s the new football Claudio. Keep smiling AMICO. Nobody can delete the history you wrote.”

In his press conference today, Mourinho added: “My words is my shirt with his name. It’s my little homage to somebody that wrote the most beautiful history of the Premier League. Somebody who would probably deserve the Leicester stadium to be named ‘Claudio Ranieri’, and he’s sacked.

So I think Leicester made history two years in a row. One year because they did the most beautiful thing in the Premier League and one of the most beautiful histories in football history. And now they’re also in the highlights with a decision that I think has everyone in football united because its something very very difficult to accept.

“But at the same time it’s good for all for us to realise how football is now.

I thought last season when I was sacked as a champion it was a giant negative thing, now I realise that it was peanuts compared to what happened to Claudio, so my Instagram is a little homage, my shirt is another one and I don’t think he needs more homages because nobody can delete what he did.”

Meanwhile, it’s been confirmed that Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick is available but Henrikh Mkhitaryan has been ruled out for this weekend’s EFL Cup final against Southampton.

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