Leicester City have achieved the most unlikely title win English football has ever seen
As we all know Leicester were crowned as English champions on Monday night, following title-rivals Tottenham’s 2-2 draw at reigning champions Chelsea.
The draw in a feisty affair means that Spurs can no longer catch the Foxes at the top of the table.
For much of the campaign pundits have been waiting for Leicester to slip-up in the race for the title, but remarkably Leicester’s story that sounds more like fiction than fact is now reality and Leicester are champions.
The reality now is that the side from the Midlands have won the title against all odds.
Leicester summed-up what a good team should be
English football has been dominated by big money and clubs buying titles in the last two decades. The likes of Chelsea and Manchester City have bought their way into the elite of English football in the last decade, as previously they had won very few titles prior to big money investment.
Leicester’s win was a victory for football over finance. Their squad was assembled for a fraction of what their rivals have spent in recent transfer windows and yet as a team they have worked perfectly for much of the campaign.
Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy have been two of their standout players, but neither has ever come across as a big time Charlie and both have worked tirelessly for the team.
Leicester’s individual players may be inferior to some of those at other top four clubs, but the Foxes epitomise what a team should be. They are far more than the sum of their parts, even if those parts are vastly underrated at times.
The players in the Leicester defence deserve a special mention. Danny Simpson, Robert Huth, Wes Morgan and Christian Fuchs are not players who would be considered as highly talented players individually, but as a unit they just defend and put their bodies on the line every game.
The likes of Mahrez, Vardy, N’Golo Kante and Danny Drinkwater have all received a lot of credit, but the back-up and ‘keeper Kasper Schmeichel are often overlooked when praise is dished out.
Couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy
Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri is an affable guy, but he has never won a title at any of his previous clubs, despite always doing a very steady job wherever he has been. He has helped a lot of clubs and teams move forward in his managerial career.
However, he has never been able to get a club over the line to win the big trophies. Some accused the Italian of being too nice to win the big trophies. Well this nice guy has finally got what his dignity and football intelligence deserved with a Premier League title win.
There were doubts about his appointment as Foxes boss at the beginning of the campaign and the Foxes were regarded as one of the favourites for relegation, as Ranieri did not have the best of records in his previous job. Boy did he prove his critics wrong.
The experienced Italian has maintained his dignity and kept his players calm. The 62-year-old has given the players a bit of freedom and those players have repaid their managers faith handsomely.
Unlikely to ever be repeated
This is the most unlikely triumph the English game has ever seen. In the past teams had been promoted and won the English title, but at that time football was not dominated by money and the teams were operating on a more even playing field.
Leicester’s title win is inexplicable to most people, as the likes of big spending Manchester City and Manchester United scramble around for a top-four spot in the Premier League table.
Unfortunately Leicester’s against all odds Premier League triumph seems like it may be a one-off and already for next season the Foxes are odds of 25/1 to retain the title.
Next summer will likely be dominated by the likes of Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea and even Liverpool spending big money in an attempt to get up to Leicester’s standards of this season!
This season has been fantastic a return to the best teams and not the biggest spending teams at the top of the Premier League table. The reality of is that more often than not the rich dominate English football.
For one glorious season in the English top-flight football triumphed over money and that is the reason the Foxes are such popular champions. The side from the Midlands have proven that a club does not need to spend a fortune to win the title.
With hard work, good management and a touch of luck along the way every team has a chance of glory in the English top-flight. On behalf of everybody at Soccernews I would like to congratulate Leicester on their triumph and wish the Foxes continued success for the future
Will there ever be story like Leicester’s again in the Premier League?
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