Leicester City Manager Claudio Ranieri will earn a £5M ($7.3M) bonus if his side lifts the Premier League title. Winning the EPL will trigger a £5M payment separate from the clause in the Italian’s contract that rewards him with £100,000 ($146,000) for every place that his team finishes above 18th. Escaping relegation was Leicester’s "main objective" when it appointed him last summer and the club "inserted get-out clauses in his contract" should it go down. In exchange, Ranieri had other clauses inserted if the team "did much better than expected." Ranieri, 64, "has had discussions about an improved contract." It was agreed last summer that a £6.5M ($9.5M) bonus pot "would be shared by Leicester’s players should they finish 12th or above." Under FA rules, "clubs are not allowed to change their bonus structures during a season," but Leicester’s owners are "exploring ways" to reward them after July 1 (LONDON TIMES, 4/29).
Tottenham Hotspur Manager Mauricio Pochettino has verbally agreed to a two-year contract extension that will "keep him at White Hart Lane" until '21. The Argentine, who has become "one of the most feted coaches in the game after turning Spurs into Premier League title challengers," broke the "surprise news" on Friday. Pochettino: "I believe in this project and this club. I want to stay here" (REUTERS, 4/29).
ManU Manager Louis van Gaal claimed he will remain the club's manager next season. There is "increasing speculation that José Mourinho will be in charge" of ManU when the '16-17 campaign begins but Van Gaal insisted, "Next year you will see me again." The 64-year-old said that he "fully intends" to honor the three-year deal he agreed with the club in '14. He said, "I knew it would be like this. That’s why they hired me and we spoke about it. We always knew that the process would take three years" (PA, 5/1).
