Where it went wrong: 5 flash points that spelt the end for Ranieri

Only nine months have passed since Leicester City captured its first top-flight title in 132 years of history, and yet the club is now back at square one, without the manager that led it to glory or any guarantees of Premier League survival.

The Foxes' collapse is almost as remarkable as their rapid ascent. A relegation battler turned into a title contender in quick time, shocking bookmakers who offered 5,000-1 odds for a team of also-rans and misfits.

No one expected a similar challenge this season. A let-off was likely. But Leicester's title defence is beyond feeble. It is "embarrassing," in the words of vocal goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel. Ranieri lost his job Thursday as Leicester's owners, however regrettably, attempted to kick-start a season gone horribly wrong.

How it has come to this point is not inexplicable. The club has underachieved, the players look like a shell of themselves, and the magic is gone.

Here are five things that led to Ranieri's dismissal:

Opening-day defeat to newly promoted Hull

Riddled with injuries and without a permanent manager in place, newly promoted Hull City began life in the Premier League as a sure bet to go back down. And beginning the season against Leicester City didn't appear to help the cause.

But the Tigers defeated the Foxes 2-1 at the KCOM Stadium, a remarkable score line that would prove an ominous precursor to Leicester's doomed campaign.

It was the first time a defending Premier League champion had lost on opening day since 1989, according to the BBC's Chris Bevan, and the first of 14 league defeats to date.

Leicester's only goal came from the penalty spot. Jamie Vardy missed several chances to double the visitor's tally, showing the kind of rust that he still hasn't managed to shake off.

Thrashing at Old Trafford exposes defence

Leicester's defensive frailties came under intense scrutiny Sept. 24 against Manchester United, which scored three of its four goals off set pieces and drew the ire of Ranieri.

It was the first sign of decay from last season's much-heralded backline. Robert Huth and Wes Morgan looked slow and disorganized. Huth, fifth in the Premier League in aerial duels won last term, couldn't cope with United's penalty-box presence, while Morgan failed time and again to mark his man. It was a systematic collapse.

"It is not possible to concede three goals from corners. That means you are not concentrating," Ranieri said at the time, some of his first openly critical comments. "We are usually very solid at corners and free-kicks, it was very strange. Until now we have been very strong, we have made some mistakes. I can understand that they score with headers, that they are very tall, but to score a smart goal from a corner is not possible."

Kante runs rampant against former side

Leicester returned to Stamford Bridge in October, five months after its coronation as Premier League champion, and things could not feel more different.

N'Golo Kante, for one, was on the opposite side of the divide. Kante was the one player to flee Leicester in the summer, catching Ranieri off guard, but it was perhaps the wisest choice of all.

Kante showed exactly what Leicester had been missing, and more. Chelsea dispatched the reigning champion 3-0 with the help of the diminutive Frenchman, whose 86 passes were a team high that afternoon. He could've scored a goal of his own had former teammate Morgan not timed a perfect block.

Again, Ranieri questioned the mindset of his squad. The Italian also began to rotate his squad in anticipation of the Champions League, dropping club-record signing Islam Slimani and the slumping Riyad Mahrez to the bench. The burden of playing in more than one major competition began to show. Playing with the same starting XI week in, week out was no longer an option.

Schmeichel accepts relegation reality

Another 3-0 away loss to United this month seemed to indicate the end was nigh. It at least drove Schmeichel to the breaking point. The first of Leicester's players to publicly recognise that, yes, they were in danger of getting relegated, the honest Dane called their performances "embarrassing."

He added, "Let's not talk about last season. It's gone. There are a lot of factors that go into it but this season has not been good right from the start.

"We are a group of players low on confidence but not low on fight. It is not a comfortable situation. It has been terrible, embarrassing. It is time for each one of us - from the top to the bottom of this club - to stand up and be counted.

"If we don't, we'll be relegated."

His comments followed the Guardian's report suggesting Ranieri had lost "his grip" on the dressing room.

Nothing improved after the fact. Despite a extra-time FA Cup victory over Derby County, Leicester fell to relegation rival Swansea.

Failure to beat 10-man Millwall

Ranieri's last match in charge came against Sevilla, but it was last weekend's mortifying loss to Millwall that truly sent the Italian packing.

Making 10 changes to the squad that lost to Swansea, Ranieri gave chances to some of his role players in the hope they would respond with some kind of fight.

But they couldn't beat a third-tier side that played the majority of the second half with 10 men.

The decision to rotate heavily drew criticism, especially as clubs like Tottenham rolled out strong teams to compete against similar opposition in the FA Cup fifth round.

Ranieri defended his selections, but questioned the desire of his players after the match. Despite a brief display of courage at Sevilla a few days later, there was no turning back. The mist of May's title celebrations had evaporated.