Is 2016 the Year of the Fox? After Nick the fox from Disney’s Zootopia became this year’s cartoon idol, Leicester City’s Foxes have just sealed their statuses as legends in the world of football, after one of the most extraordinary seasons in football history.
Sport’s greatest underdog story is now complete with the fairytale ending no one believed possible – the English football team based in the small city in England’s East Midlands, finally won their first ever Premier League title following Tottenham Hotspur’s 2-2 draw with Chelsea on Monday evening, securing an incredible first place finish after sitting on the top spot for over 4 months.
For non-football fans, some might still wonder what all the fuss is about. Well, here are some facts you should be aware of:
TRUE UNDERDOGS
Basically, the underdog factor is the reason why everyone is so ecstatic at seeing Leicester City win the title. The club, which has a history of 132 years, was not even in England’s top flight two seasons ago, and last season the Foxes barely survived the threat of relegation, finishing in 14th place after being bottom at Christmas. This year, no one believed they had a chance of making it into the top 10, let alone winning the title.
Except for the big four ultra-rich clubs Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal, the English football scene has not had a new champion in the top flight since Blackburn won the Premier League in 1994. After the domination of the big four for more than 20 years, hopes of victory for a team outside of London or Manchester have appeared almost non-existent.
In terms of probability, at the start of the season bookmakers were placing odds of 5000-1 on the club winning the Premiership. In comparison, the odds of someone finally discovering the Loch Ness monster are 500-1, while Elvis Presley still being alive is a meager 2000-1.
RAGS TO RICHES
None of Leicester City’s players were well-known before the start of this season. The total value of all of their 11 first-choice players combined was nearly 21 million pounds – a price that would barely pay for a quarter of Real Madrid star Gareth Bale.
Jamie Vardy, the team’s top scorer, is perhaps the embodiment of the Foxes』 fight-against-the-odds spirit. His legendary run from amateur player to international England player, and first Premier League player to score in 11 consecutive games is a script better than anything even Hollywood could imagine (in fact a movie about Vardy is reportedly in the pipeline).
Riyad Mahrez, who just became the PFA Player of the Year, saw his value increase 100 times by the end of the season, and is now being chased after by many of Europe’s biggest clubs. This time last year he was playing for Le Havre in France’s Ligue 2.
The only notable club figure with any claim to fame is the club’s Italian manager, Claudio Ranieri. An experienced coach adept at pulling many low-ranking teams out of relegation danger, Ranieri finally won his first major title last night. His successful management-style, gentle persona and tactics are believed to be the key to Leicester City’s astonishing Premier League victory.
There are so many other stories behind this team – previously unknown N』golo Kante was named in the PFA Team of the Year, while goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel has perhaps stepped out of the shadow of father and Manchester United legend Peter. Yet it is together as a team that Leicester won the Premier League, in the face of the billions of pounds that have threatened to control the beautiful game in recent years. Leicester City’s victory proves to any team in any sport anywhere in the world, that anything is possible.
MIRACLES CAN COME TRUE
The dream-come-true story of Leicester City has inspired millions of fans across the world, especially in Thailand where the club’s owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha is from.
In China, millions of football fans also expressed their admiration and hoped the Foxes』 victory can shed some light on the country’s long-awaited football dream.
「In an era when money counts for everything, I think we give hope to everybody.」