Ranieri: Sevilla Tough But Very Exciting

- Claudio Ranieri says the UEFA Champions League round of 16 draw with Sevilla is 'tough but very exciting'

- Leicester City will travel to the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium on Wednesday 22 February, 2017

- The Spanish outfit will then be guests at Leicester City Stadium on Tuesday 14 March, 2017 

- City qualified for the last-16 of European football's biggest club competition as Group G winners

City qualified for the knockout round of European football’s most prestigious club competition as Group G winners and will face Jorge Sampaoli's men at Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium on Wednesday 22 February, 2017. 

The Group H runners-up then travel to Leicester City Stadium for the second leg clash on Tuesday 14 March, 2017 and Ranieri expects it to be another memorable night for the Blue Army.

After the draw in Nyon in Switzerland, the Leicester boss admitted that Sevilla will be tough adversaries for his Premier League champions but reiterated his confidence that City can continue to excel on the European stage. 

He said: “For us it is a tough but very exciting draw against a team who are used to fighting in Europe. 

“Whoever we played would have been a tough opponent, but I think all the teams who arrived second will have wanted to play against us and I know that we will be the underdogs once again. Always we are underdogs, every time.   

“I know that Sevilla have lifted the Europa League three times in three years – it is unbelievable. Now they are third in the league and have lost only three so far. They are a big, big, big team.   

“They are very technical and very good. They are fighting to win the title with Real Madrid and Barcelona in Spain, so that tells you how good they are.” 

Ranieri insists that his focus remains on City’s Premier League form between now and the first leg but says the Club’s supporters are right to be excited about an away trip to the capital of southern Spain’s Andalusia region.   

The Leicester manager continued: “For the fans it is good because Spain is a fantastic country and a lot of English people enjoy going there. 

“They have been with us in every game so far and for them I say enjoy and that we will continue to fight to go as far as we can in the Champions League.   

“For now, we must focus on us. We have to be focused on the Premier League and we will enjoy the Champions League whenever it happens.”