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Claudio Ranieri: 'Leicester City still underdogs'

Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri insists that his side will go into the new Premier League season as underdogs despite their status as defending champions.

Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri has insisted that his side will go into the new season as underdogs despite their status as defending Premier League champions.

The Foxes overcame odds of 5,000-1 to clinch the title last term and now find themselves 33-1 to retain their crown during the 2016-17 campaign.

That puts Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur ahead of them in terms of title favourites, but Ranieri says that he will be happy as long as he gets "100%" from his players again.

"Now there are six big teams who want to win, they want to kill us. That is normal, it's football, but I don't want my players to ever give up against them or anybody," he told reporters.

"We can lose but I want to see them playing together as a team, helping each other. Suffer for your teammates, help your team. I know last season we did something that is hard to repeat, but I want the maximum from myself and everybody.

"We know very well we are the champions but we are the underdogs. If you are not 100%, give me a 100% of your 60%, then I am happy."

Leicester will take on Manchester United in the Community Shield on Sunday before opening the new Premier League campaign away to newly-promoted Hull City.

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Claudio Ranieri and Kasper Schmeichel with the Premier League trophy on May 8, 2016
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